Three steps forward and one giant step backward for criminal justice reform: The package of criminal justice reform bills that emerged from the Council of State Government process (HB 5928, 5929, 5930 and 5931) is pending action in the Senate. CAPPS endorses three bills in the package: HB 5928, 5929 and 5930. The bills would [...]
Long-awaited legislation to reform Michigan laws that currently allow juveniles to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, or JLWOP, was introduced in June and is now awaiting action in the House Criminal Justice Committee. The bills have strong bipartisan support. One of the bills in the package, HB 4809, also includes important [...]
Privatization | January 2013 Senate Bill 878, which authorizes the operation of private prisons in Michigan, was signed by Governor Snyder on January 11, 2012, despite serious concerns raised by unions representing corrections employees and advocates for corrections reforms. A private prison near Baldwin that is owned by the Geo Group, based in Florida, is [...]
CAPPS issue brief | January 2013 The parole process for lifers People who are serving “parolable life” sentences become eligible for release after either 10 or 15 years, depending on the date of the offense. The parole board must conduct a public hearing at which the prisoner is examined extensively and both supporters and opponents of [...]
For nearly two decades, much of the growth in Michigan's prison system was caused by a decline in parole grant rates. Thousands of prisoners with good institutional records who had served their minimum sentences were denied release annually. The size, and thus the cost, of the prison system depend on how many people enter [...]
Issue background | CAPPS In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Sen. Rick Jones, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced SB 1214. The bill would have added the Attorney General to the list of parties who can appeal a decision to grant parole, along with the county prosecutor and the victim. However, thanks to CAPPS and [...]
Juveniles | June 23, 2010 By Barbara Levine, Executive Director, Citizens Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending Excerpt from the testimony on House Bills 4518, 4594, 4595 and 4596, introduced in 2009 to address juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) reforms: “CAPPS strongly supports the elimination of life without parole sentences for any teenager. However, we [...]
By Mike Reagan, president, Association of Substance Use, Conditions, Prevention and Treatment Providers Organization (ALSAO), March 2010 From the testimony: “The tragedy is that we know how to stop spinning this costly and inhumane revolving door. It starts with acknowledging the fact that addiction is a disease for which evidence-based prevention and treatment programs exist [...]
In 2009, the Council of State Governments's (CSG) Justice Policy Center provided a range of policy options for Michigan policymakers. CAPPS opposed many of these recommendations. You will find our critique of the Council of State Governments's report in the materials and testimony below. Read>> Policy options to deter crime, lower recidivism, and reduce spending on corrections [...]