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Diversion

A Day in the Life of a Community Engagement Specialist

One of the most rewarding things about working for criminal justice reform is getting people interested in transforming our court and prison systems and watching the momentum for change build, both in Michigan and nationwide. So, when I got a call from Sean Wilkinson, a reporter and videographer from San Francisco who is representing the [...]

Violated: A look a recent parole and probation reforms 

The Michigan Jail Task Force on Jail and Pre-Trial Incarceration made 18 recommendations that were turned into legislation. In the last weeks of 2020, the Michigan Legislature passed that legislation and changed the laws but more importantly it will change hundreds of thousands of Michiganders lives for the better. Some of this legislation focused on [...]

2021-01-28T15:25:17-05:00January 28th, 2021|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Parole, Reentry, Sentencing|

The Business Case for Criminal Justice Reform

Michigan has often struggled to find people qualified to fill certain jobs, such as skilled trades workers and health care professionals. Licensing laws that are structured to prohibit anyone with a criminal past from obtaining a requisite license and screening questions on job applications that rule out anyone with a conviction have deepened the skills [...]

2020-08-04T13:32:39-04:00August 4th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Diversion, Recidivism, Reentry|

First bills from Jails Task Force report reach state legislature

The recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration are getting ready to officially start their move through the Michigan Legislature next week. When people ask me about the best ways to address over-incarceration I usually with the question: “Do you mean in jails or in prisons?” Jails house people who are [...]

2020-07-17T15:50:59-04:00July 17th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

A Discussion on Driver’s License Revocations

The Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration identified the suspension of driver’s licenses for reasons that have nothing to do with unsafe driving as one of the major drivers in Michigan’s jail growth over the past few decades. In 2018, nearly 358,000 people lost their driver’s license for reasons that had nothing [...]

2020-06-24T19:19:11-04:00June 24th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Sentencing|

Join us for a VIRTUAL Day of Empathy

It has been a difficult few weeks full of changes and challenges for all of us, We want to send our best wishes to you, your friends, and to your family during these trying times. One helpful things to do during a crisis is to keep connected and maintain a sense purpose. That’s why we’re [...]

Day of Empathy 2020: What Can It Mean for You?

I walked into my first Day of Empathy event nearly four years ago feeling terrified, socially averse and embarrassed. I was ashamed and had been shamed. I had only recently completed my three years of incarceration and a bit more than two years of parole and probation. The memory of being paraded, in a bright [...]

Get to know the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration recommendations

In January 2020, the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration issued a list of 18 legislative action items that — if enacted — could revolutionize Michigan’s county jails and the lives of the people who come into contact with them. The task force drafted their recommendations after holding six meetings across Michigan. [...]

2020-01-31T03:46:08-05:00January 28th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Mental health, Recidivism, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

What did the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration recommend?

What happens when you bring a task force together including Democrats, Republicans, legislators, victims-rights advocates, county commissioners, law enforcement officers, and formerly incarcerated people? A list of 18 recommendations designed to reduce the jail population across the entire state. According to the original executive order the Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration was [...]