By John Bebow - April 11, 2008
Michigan's on pace to reach 55,000 prison inmates by 2012 - a 77% increase since 1991.
That's the most troubling finding in new state projections of future prison populations.
At a cost of more than $30,000 per prisoner per year, that's another $150 million per year taxpayers would have to spend on prisons. That's enough money to provide full-ride, all-expenses-paid annual scholarships for 8,000 Michigan State University students.
State corrections officials say modest reforms designed to help parolees adjust to life back in society are beginning to help stem the growth of the prison population. But, officials say, long-term trends in felony convictions and Michigan's tough sentencing laws are putting prison population trends back on a steep growth curve.
The state is employing several stopgap measures, including:
But without sentencing reform (in other words, reduced sentences for various felony convictions), prison officials project they will be unable to reduce prison population growth over the long term.
So, what's the cost of justice, crime and punishment? What other public services must be cut, or taxes raised, to pay for the ever-rising prison populations? For the sake of other forms of public safety, including education, environmental protection, and human services for those not in prison, do we need to consider radical overhaul of prison operations?
More than 40 open seats in the Michigan House of Representatives will be contested this year. If candidates knock on your door this summer, ask them what they will do about the cost of Michigan's ever-growing prison population. If they answer your question with a blank stare, are they qualified to receive your vote?
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And the prison population will continue to grow as long as school districts cut where their services are needed the most, the disadvantaged part of our population.
Most recently the South Lyon Community Schools Board voted to close a small school within a school serving students in the evening; since the program did not demonstrate enough "rigor", was being taught by part time teachers to part time students, failed to demonstrate AYP and provide an opportunity for students to achieve.
In english, a local district did not want to be associated with that part of the population that demonstrated real life success (from restored families, productive members of the economy to Phds) doing things that were different that "normal" schools do.
Increase your prison counts by 200 per semester starting in 2009!
The Board and the administration insist that this was not a financial decision.
This is but one example of the root cause of sour turns in lives that Michigan's Leadership refuses to recognize.
Each lost student is a brick paver on the road to oblivion!
"Shackling All of Us"
- using the title - if they just lock up all the unemployed, wont that make our state look better statistically? j/k!
______What are the estimated payoffs for these suggestions? they all sound logical.....
The state is employing several stopgap measures, including:
Expanding cheaper boot camps for some prisoners.
Increasing the use of global positioning system monitoring and polygraph examinations for moderate risk parolees.
Expanded drug treatment programs.
Reducing the number of parolees sent back to prison on parole violation technicalities.
Consulting with national experts to find operating efficiencies in prisons.
Michigan and its Governor have already cut so many services, jobs, and programs due to the budget crisis that im pretty much against cutting more.
We have to draw a line somewhere.
If it comes down to a choice between cutting off services and perks for prisoners, and cutting state programs and services for law abiding citizens, then i'll definitely be for removing programs and benefits for Convicted felons.
John- Part of the challenge to reduce our prison populations is having more males, esp. African-American males in the "front end"
helping professions- e.g. juvenile delinquency prevention, child welfare/abuse prevention,
foster care, and ALSO in community corrections.
I have spent some effort with a prof and WSU and
MSU's School of Criminal Justice in proposing a
"Project 50"- to provide paid internships and full scholarships for up to 50 males to enter the WSU School of Social Work. It so far hasn't gone any place; WSU has had stance that its "too practical an issue/solution" and they are more interested in polishing their "status" as more of a "pure research" university. Never did undestand what they mean. Anyway, I'm still shopping the idea around. I am certain that funding sources like Ford Foundation, Knight and some federal programs would run with it; but it needs a School of Social Work to go after the funds out there.
I believe that Michigan should link its prison population with an attempt for a Detroit version of the old Marshall Plan for Europe-
Really organize a large number of non-violent offenders and, with close supervision (would still be cheaper than them being in prison) really pull off turning large numbers of acres in Detroit back to viable land for urban farming/urban gardening. But yes, it won't fly because its really tooo practical, too specific and do-able. Its a lot safer to go back to the ole fashion: "Let's do a new study, another
"needs assessment" another meeting of the
"stake holders" and "do-gooders" who come together, blow a lot of words that are carefully recorded and then everyone goes home!
The prison situation Michigan has is not unique to Michigan. The less than a decade of 500% plus prison increase nationally is backrupting many state budgets. These symptoms illuminate a cry for wholeness. Consider Mother Teresa's words, "The real poverty is in the West." Ultimately as a community we reap what we sow - so sow value. "Where there is great love there are always miracles." Willa Cather
We must eliminate harsh mandatory sentences for minor, non violent crimes. A person with a prison record is "untouchable" when they seek employment and often has no recourse other than a life of crime for survival.
In the deep south, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, they still use chain gangs. Give the minor offenders a choice; Work on a chain gang cleaning up the filth and litter along our highways and complete your sentence with no record of any kind OR go to prison and receive a prison record that will stay with them for life. This has to be a win win solution; Young, first time offenders would receive a just but limited punishment. They would not be exposed to career criminals and our highways and/or urban landscape (as Richard Thibodeau suggested) would be cleaned up at minimal expense to the state.
(This is a letter written by an inmate friend of mine.)
I am writing to hopefully bring awareness to the public concerning the lack of judicial awareness in the state of Michigan, along with an extreme lack of knowledge between Michigan courts and the Department of Corrections.
My name is Amy Hay and I am currently serving a 25 month sentence for prescription fraud at Huron Valley. In layman’s terms I was doctor shopping. I am a non violent offender and my crime didn’t involve a victim.
At the time of my sentencing I was assured the decision to send me to prison would be in my best interest. I was told I would receive substance treatment, counseling and adequate health care. I was led to believe I would probably be released, with good time, in 11 to 13 months. No one informed me good time did not exist in Michigan, or about Truth in Sentencing. Truth in sentencing means everyone sentenced since 2004 will serve their full minimum sentence, regardless of the crime they committed.
In the year I have been incarcerated I have not received any of these options. My substance abuse issues were never addressed; as I was told they would be. Incarceration in a state prison was clearly not in my best interest; but in the interest of the Court to push me off on the Michigan Department of Corrections and wash their hands of any responsibility or obligations.
What has actually transpired during this past year of incarceration is appalling. I have not been given any opportunity to properly address my substance abuse issue. I have not received any counseling or rehabilitation due to over crowding, lack of professionals, due to poor budgeting and funding. My family and I were assured by the judge this would be done. To the courts I am just a statistic and to the state I am just another $30,000 or more a year.
The two major players of the Judicial System have failed me and hundreds others. It seems as though the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing. Instead of the state allowing me to make amends for my wrongs and be a productive member of the community, I am just left here waiting out my time, unemployed and receiving no real treatment for my issues.
I no longer wish to remain silent and just let time pass me by. The county courts can’t uphold their promises. Then you have Michigan Department of Corrections failing each person who is sentenced. I’m expected to be held accountable for my actions but who is making the court system and the Department of Corrections accountable for theirs?
I know what I did was wrong. I feel terrible for all the shame I have caused my family. I want help and I want to better myself. It is pathetic how Michigan spends more money per year on the prison system than they do on education.
Maybe it’s time the judicial system of Michigan be reformed
Not all people in prison for drugs are addicts. Many are recreational users. These "offenders" don't need rehabilitation. They need the drug laws repealed.
The best way to reduce the Michigan prison population is to reduce the Michigan population. Less people- less prisoners. Less people- less crime. Less people- less unemployment. The current population of Michigan(or anywhere) is unsustainable. Eventually it will come down to clean water. I prefer not to wait until our supply of clean water is nearly gone. We must restrict the number of births per household. We must not only reduce population growth but we must reverse it. Snip snip.
I have a daughter who was recently incarcerated for driving on a suspended license. She had her license suspended because of an unpaid ticket (not having insurance proof when she was pulled over). However she did have insurance when that happened, but never took the needed time to go and show proof. She is a single parent and was working, trying to make ends meet, taking her children where they needed to go, and so she did not take the needed time to get this ticket taken care of, which was definitely her own fault. I am not saying this was okay and acknowledge that she should have done what was needed at that time. However now she cannot possibly afford to get herself out of the huge debt to reinstate her driving license. It would cost her thousands of dollars, which she does not have. So she drove without having a license because she wanted to see her children who were at brother's home--and the police caught her in route. I have been taking care of 2 of her three children because of her poverty situation, and she had wanted to be able to spend some time with them. Each day she stays in this jail costs the jailed person $30 per day. She had a court appointed attorney, which she will get charged for and will have to pay as well. Then there are court costs that will need to be paid. And if she get probation after she is released, that also occurs a cost to be paid. Plus then she still owes the thousands of dollars to get her license back. So then you tell me how in the world is she ever going to be able to get her license back? This just sets her up as a repeated offender. She is in a no-win situation and although it all began with a bad choice of hers not to set things straight with the first ticket issued, now it has snowballed into a horrendous situation in which she cannot see a way out. Because it happened in Wayne County and they had no room for her there, they took her all the way up to Clair County (Harrison, MI) to serve her sentence. The system has a way of keeping the poor, underprivileged, and non-violet offenders in the system and so we wonder why our prison system is over crowded? Reform, while taking a look at getting the non-violent offender out of being incarcerated and back on track as being a productive contributing member of our society should be top priority. There has to be a better way then now!
I totally understand your frustration. I do understand it was poor judgement on your daughters part but desperation only promotes desperate acts. Did you know if an inmate housed in a correctional facility inherits money the state will make them pay for their incarceration? If an inmate requests to see a doctor $5 is taken out of their commissary account. Not a big deal to some but most inmates don't even have that in their account and if they do, they save it for food or necessities such as motrin or deoderant. By the way, they could not pay for those two items with $5.
Not to change the subject but another issue I recently learned of; the cost for a title for a moble home increased from $45 to $90 in January. Now, who do you think mostly lives in mobile homes? Not people with six figure incomes, actually I bet most don't make more than $35,000 a year, the majority probably make less. Who thought up that ingenious idea?
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