Michigan grants voting rights to most people otherwise qualified to vote regardless of their criminal record. The only people ineligible to vote based on a criminal record are people who are currently incarcerated and serving a sentence. That means that that people who match the following descriptions ARE ELIGIBLE to vote: People who are formerly incarcerated People [...]
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. Testimony was gathered from [...]
To learn more about Automatic Expungement also referred to as ‘Clean Slate’ legislation, read Safe & Just Michigan’s one-page fact sheet (updated September 6, 2019). Download>> Clean Slate Legislation Fact Sheet
To learn more about Automatic Expungement also referred to as 'Clean Slate' legislation, read Safe & Just Michigan’s one-page fact sheet. Download>> Clean Slate Legislation Fact Sheet
To learn more about Safe & Just Michigan, our one-page fact sheet. Download>> Get to know Safe & Just Michigan fact sheet
To learn more about House Bill 5377 of 2018, also referred to as objective parole reform, read Safe & Just Michigan's one-page fact sheet. Download>> Objective Parole Fact Sheet
To learn more about voting rights for justice-involved people in Michigan read Safe & Just Michigan's one-page fact sheet. Download>> Guide to Michigan Voting Rights Fact Sheet
Michigan has a longer length of stay for people in prison than any other state. The Pew Center on the States study found that in 2009, Michigan prisoners served nearly 17 months more than average. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, in 2016 the average minimum sentence was 9.9 years (a figure which does [...]
HB 5377, Objective Parole Reform, simply defines what constitutes “substantial and compelling” reasons so that they are relevant to an incarcerated person’s current risk. This fact sheet provides a comprehensive review of what the HB 5377 will and will not accomplish. Read>> Fact sheet: Objective Parole Reform for low risk offenders
Principle 1: Reserve prison beds for people who are dangerous Restore the sentencing commission and reassess the impact of sentencing guidelines to ensure that drug and property offenders are not incarcerated unnecessarily and that sentences for crimes against persons are proportionate to the offense. Increase the availability of drug courts, mental health courts and community-based [...]