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Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC)

The long haul: why long sentences hurt everyone in Michigan

Michigan has seen its prison population fall 23 percent since 2006, when we recorded the largest number of incarcerated people in our state at 51,515. That’s the good news. However, this decline has been offset by a steady increase in the length of stay. Michigan’s prison system has one of the longest average prison sentences [...]

2019-02-27T16:38:41-05:00February 27th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Lifers, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Sentencing|

How short stays have a lasting impact on Michigan prison policy

Here’s a paradox: Michigan is known around the country for having the one of the longest prison sentences in the country, but even so, more than seven out of every 10 people committed to prison in 2017 were sent to serve short sentences of fewer than three years. How can this be, and what does [...]

2019-02-20T11:59:45-05:00February 20th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Sentencing|

Fewer people are going to prison — here’s why

We know by now that Michigan’s prison population is falling. From the high of 51,515 people reached in 2006, our state’s prison population has fallen 23 percent to 39,666 as of the end of 2017. To understand why that is happening, it’s good to examine how that population figure can change. Two things affect that [...]

2019-02-14T14:14:07-05:00February 14th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Sentencing|

Statistics tell the stories

The Michigan Department of Corrections released its 2017 Statistical Report on Jan. 23, 2019. It releases statistical reports annually, and each year they contain hundreds of pages of facts, figures, charts and tables that help paint the picture of Michigan’s criminal justice system. The information covers topics such as how many people are newly sentenced [...]

Michigan Legislature sets new committee assignments

Both chambers of the Michigan Legislature have appointed members to their committees for the 2019-20 legislative session. These committees are an important part of the legislative process because they act as gatekeepers as bills make their way through the legislative process. Each year, thousands of bills are introduced to the Michigan Legislature by our lawmakers. [...]

2019-01-24T10:15:28-05:00January 24th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Corrections budget, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Reentry|

A visit to Lakeland Correctional Facility

On Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, John Cooper, our associate director of policy & research, traveled to Lakeland Correctional Facility to present at the monthly meeting of Chapter #1013 of the National Lifers of America organization (“NLA”).  NLA is a statewide prisoner-based organization with an active membership in many prisons in Michigan. Its purpose is to [...]

2018-11-15T10:28:00-05:00November 15th, 2018|Categories: Blog, Elderly, Lifers, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Parole|

Ojibway prison slated for closure

Yesterday, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced the closure of the Ojibway Correctional Facility located in Gogebic County. The nearly 50-year-old facility, originally a camp, was converted to a prison in 2000. The correctional facility is designed to house 1,162 people convicted of low-level offenses. The Ojibway currently has a prison population of less [...]

2018-08-15T20:30:18-04:00August 15th, 2018|Categories: Blog, Corrections budget, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC)|

Felony firearm in Michigan: A case study in what’s wrong with mandatory minimums

Much of the national criminal justice reform conversation focuses on mandatory minimum sentences because they often result in harsh outcomes for people and our criminal justice system. Mandatory minimums require judges to impose a specific minimum prison sentence whenever someone is convicted of a given crime. This removes the judge’s ability to tailor the sentence [...]

2018-08-27T14:33:56-04:00August 7th, 2018|Categories: Blog, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Racial equity, Sentencing|

Parental incarceration: The impact on families and children

This Father’s Day weekend will not be a celebration for every child in Michigan – thousands of children will spend Father’s Day far from their incarcerated fathers. Men comprise about 95 percent of Michigan’s nearly 40,000 incarcerated population. Incarceration creates hardships to maintain family connections. People are often incarcerated far from home making family visits [...]

A call for meaningful treatment and services for the mentally ill

On July 31, veteran service, health, and law enforcement professionals testified before the C.A.R.E.S. Task Force at the Livingston County EMS building in Howell. The presenters outlined a variety of recommendations including specialized services, improved cross-system communication, and increased access to services. Testimony emphasized the need to reduce the involvement of people with mental health [...]