We welcomed John Cooper (left) as our new policy director on April 17. John has extensive experience working on complex criminal justice policy issues in Michigan - both as the founder of the Coalition of Justice Voters and as special counsel for criminal justice policy for Rep. David LaGrand (D-Grand Rapids). John will be working [...]
On April 25, Rep. Klint Kesto (R-District 39), House of Representatives Law and Justice Committee chair, took testimony from national leaders calling for continued criminal justice reforms and investment in services that prevent crime and help crime survivors heal. Mark Holden, senior vice president and general counsel of Koch Industries, called on Michigan to continue [...]
CAPPS board member Gary Ashby and Executive Director Laura Sager spoke at two Michigan prisons in January and February. Gary Ashby, CAPPS board member and volunteer speaker, visited the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer on January 28, 2017. He discussed the policies driving the increase in Michigan’s prison population over the past three decades and [...]
The Sentencing Project recently put out a new report on the ever-increasing length of time served by parolable lifers, even when they get released. Click here for the report: Delaying a Second Chance: The Declining Prospects for Parole on Life Sentences . The report surveys practices in many states, including Michigan, and contains recommendations for:-- reducing the minimum number [...]
We are pleased to report that House Bill 5273 – the judicial veto bill –passed the Michigan Senate on Dec. 7. The vote was 36-1. The bill had previously passed the Michigan House by a large majority. Governor Snyder signed the bill on December 21, and the law will go into effect within 90 days [...]
The 2016 CAPPS Annual Membership Meeting on October 13 was attending by over 200 CAPPS members and supporters. The first half of the program included legislative updates on HB 4138, the Smart and Safe parole reform bill, as well as elections for the CAPPS Board of Directors. The evening also featured musical performances by Al Ashby and [...]
Registration for this event is now closed. Thank for making the 2016 CAPPS Annual Membership Meeting a success! Don’t miss the CAPPS Annual Membership Meeting! There will be updates on legislation, an election of members of the Board of Directors, and important speakers! 2016 CAPPS Annual Membership Meeting Thursday, October 13, 2016 5:30 – 8:30 pm [...]
CAPPS is very happy to report that the judicial veto reform bill HB 5273 passed the Senate Judiciary committee on September 6, 2017, by a bipartisan 4-0 vote. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration. CAPPS has long worked to address the parole review procedures that have kept parolable lifers incarcerated past their first parole [...]
Survivors of violent crime, especially those who live in high crime areas often do not have adequate access to trauma-informed mental health and other support services to help them heal. Crime survivors prefer criminal justice approaches that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment and strongly prefer investments in crime prevention and treatment to more spending on prisons [...]
JPI cites CAPPS's report 10,000 Michigan prisoners: Strategies to reach the goal National partner Justice Policy Institute (JPI) is an organization that advances policies that promote well-being and justice for all communities. The Institute does research and analysis along with training and technical assistance for people working for justice reform. JPIs recent report Defining Violence shows that the way violent [...]