By Phil Power - March 28, 2008
IBM's axiom is old, but it still makes sense: "You cannot manage what you do not measure."
We all know that Michigan needs a big time transformation to get through today’s tough times and on to a prosperous future: A vibrant, diversified economy; a place where talented people are welcomed; a wonderful place to live and bring up a family in revitalized towns and world-class natural resources.
The issue, of course, is how to get there. Managing to get there will require us to measure where we are and how much progress we make. In other words, we need to a set of benchmarks and metrics that we can use to measure – and manage – our progress.
The Center for Michigan has just published a first-ever comprehensive benchmarking study, "Michigan Scorecard: Benchmarks for Michigan's Transformation." The scorecard sets out 36 measuring sticks for us to compare where we are against other states as we move forward to implement a common ground vision for Michigan.
Ten out of the 36 metrics show Michigan’s doing pretty well; they earned a "thumbs up." But 19 indicate we're falling behind ("thumbs down"), while seven say we’re about even with our competitors ("So-so").
An important metric, lately much in the news, has to do with our prison policies and practices.
With a per-capita incarceration rate of approximately ½ of one percent (.0049) in 2005, Michigan was very slightly below the nation’s average. … Michigan's incarceration rate is about 40 percent higher than the average rates of its Great Lakes neighbors. And the cost of all this has shot through the roof: The number of Corrections employees has more than tripled since 1980, to the point that today over 30 percent of all state Civil Service employees are in the Department of Corrections. With an appropriation of over $2.2 billion in 2008, the Department of Corrections spent over 20 percent of Michigan’s General Fund budget.
Michigan spends more today to hold criminals in jail than we do to educate our kids in public colleges and universities; according to the Pew Center for the States, we’re one of only one of four to share that dubious distinction. And, according to the Citizens Research Council, we spend around 30 percent more per inmate per year than our neighboring states. CRC also estimates that if our spending on prisons just matched our neighboring states, we'd save around $500 million each year.
For a state that's budgetarily challenged, that's a big number. And, not surprisingly, it's provoked fierce partisan disagreement about how to find the $500 million.
Republicans generally talk about privatizing various aspects of the corrections system, going so far as to advocate turning entire prisons over to the private sector. Democrats talk about reforming the prison sentencing laws to reduce the number of people in the slam.
Looking at how many inmates are either drug users or dealers, some lawyers and law enforcement experts are urging a system of "drug courts" that sentence people convicted of drug-related crimes to a strict treatment regime and tethers, rather than expensive serving time. Lawyers and advocates for youth oppose Michigan's juvenile lifer law, which forces judges to sentence kids as young as 14 to life in prison without parole for first degree murder.
Sen. Alan Cropsey, Lansing's leading advocate of tough treatment for criminals, disagrees, says that the real benchmark is Michigan’s high violent crime rate, arguing that "if we adopt other states' practices, we’ll arrest less offenders" and see our violent crime rate go up even further.
There are two ways to solve this argument.
One is to get impartial, independent advice. That’s coming from the Council of State Governments' Justice Center, which is currently doing a study on finding efficiencies in Michigan's prison system. We spend more than $2 billion on prisons; "If you’re going to spend that kind of money, you’d hope for better outcomes," says the Justice Center's Michael Thompson. The report is supposed to be released in time for the 2009 legislative session.
The other is to quit being boxed in by ideologues of both right and left. If privatization could save money, we should look for proof from other states. If that comes, why not experiment? And if changing Michigan's "lock 'em in jail and throw away the key" sentencing guidelines will save lots of money at little risk to the public, why not try it?
Either way, the stakes are too big not to benchmark our prisons against other states and measure progress (or lack of it). The Michigan Scorecard can’t but help.
7 Comments
"we spend around 30 percent more per inmate per year than our neighboring states"
-- OBvious question - What are we spending 30% more per inmate ON? cant we just ask for other state's prison expenditures and budget breakdowns and compare?
"Looking at how many inmates are either drug users or dealers, some lawyers and law enforcement experts are urging a system of "drug courts" that sentence people convicted of drug-related crimes to a strict treatment regime and tethers, rather than expensive serving time. "
-- This sounds logical, has anyone presented a study on if it works? and if its truly cost effective?
I can tell you i knew a kid named Chris that wasnt too bright but a nice kid. A son of a local pastor, and he had a friend that smoked pot. We dont know for sure if Chris ever smoked it, he said he didnt. His friend left one in the ashtray and Chris got stopped by a cop for a speeding ticket, the cop saw it, and arrested him. Since he refused to rat out his friend he was sentenced to 5 yrs in jail.... Now, i cant see how in any way shape or form this kid either deserved that, or would learn anything from it, and i'd say it was a waste of our tax money. So yeah reform our drug charge sentencing.
"The other is to quit being boxed in by ideologues of both right and left. If privatization could save money, we should look for proof from other states. If that comes, why not experiment? And if changing Michigan's "lock 'em in jail and throw away the key" sentencing guidelines will save lots of money at little risk to the public, why not try it?"
----- Totally agree. Lets not leave any rock unturned in improving efficiency and results.
I have a friend (female) incarcerated at Camp Vallly (has a nice ring to it.)She is in for perscription fraud, in laymans terms" she lied to a doctor to obtain a narcotic. She received more than 2 years. I think she would have been better served by a long term treatment program and long term probation. At $30,000 a year I just think something could have been done that was more cost effective an better for her in the long run.
Early in my time living in Michigan in the news a man was arrested in here for polygamy. He had a wife in Ohio and in Michigan. He was employed. At that time polygamy in OH was a misdemeanor, and in MI a four year felony. The man got a four year sentence. I wonder if this man was even employable upon his prison release.
Prisons all over America have increased by more then 500% in the recent decade. Privatization is an incentive to maintain the level of punitive actions much of the rest of the civilized world sees as a heavy flaw in our country. The bend for revenge in our legal system does not enrich our culture, our country or anyone; well maybe profit making privatization prisons are enriched, no union employees, food most people wouldn't feed a pet, etc.
Decades ago when someone broke the law they had a choice of the military or prison. The military culture improved those individuals. They were employable after time served in the armed forces. The military has not been a choice for so long it is forgotten it ever was an option. There are ‘mandatory’ sentences taking a judge’s options totally away.
When the cost of our prisons continues to bankrupt state governments, when this 500% increase is decreased by letting prisoners out who have become institutionalized – how many of offenders are employable?
What company will hire them? Does the largest employer in our country, Wal-Mart employ felons? The last time I checked the answer is no. When released from prison the military won’t even take ex-cons. How many go back to prison simply because they can’t keep a roof over their heads and any kind of food in their stomachs?
What we as Americans have been doing with heavy imprisonment through our legal system is broken. This brokenness starts long before legal incarceration age. Change is critical - but will change moving forward? Or more of the same, only deeper in a hole?
Do you know the rate of divorce, children born outside of marriage in the recent 30 years? I bet you can draw a correlation on a graph with increased prison populations.
Ask an inmate when Mother’s Day is, most know, ask when Father’s Day is - most don’t know. Absent fathers Bill Cosby is all over in his new book, ‘Come On People’. Schools are not the saving answer. The Russian mafia is full of PhDs. How many of our corporations have had leadership in our recent decade stealing companies’ blind? I bet most of those CEOs have strong academic curriculum vitas.
The heart of the matter is our hearts.
I could not agree with you more. You are correct about felons obtaining jobs, it's almost impossible, especially in smaller communities. Another point to consider; out of all the female inmates 90% have children, who's raising those children? Foster Care, Grandparents and other family members. That alone is costing millions. Don't think just because a family member is taking care of their kids that the state isn't paying them to do so. Most mother are in for non-violent crimes, they could be out on parole or electronic teather, with work release making money, paying taxes and raising their own kids.
Once again Phil Power has shed light on yet another issue facing Michigan. Keep up the good work!
Agreed, America does have a drug problem and incarceration is not the answer to this problem. Treatment programs mandated by the U.S. Government may be. Only if the costs are absorbed by the already much too wealthy Government. We Americans are to blame because we keep electing these criminals we call "our country's leaders" and we all know who the true criminals are, don't we? Times are hard for the average working man and even a good citizen is capable of falling prey to the evils of drug addiction when pushed to the limits of sanity just to keep a roof over his head and food on the table. We all have our breaking point!
What exactly are the statistics concerning Michigans Corrections dept.? From my understanding Michigan ranks 4th in per capita versus inmates incarcerated. We have many judges in Michigan that exceed sentencing guidelines just to win popular vote and/or feed their egos. Why are these judges not being investigated? All they are accomplishing is over crowding the prisons and burdening the tax payers while breeding a bigger,stronger criminal and a bigger stronger criminal that, is well aware of the injustice that has been handed to him because of a simple marijuana cigarette or a bad judgement call as a first time offender.
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