For nearly two years, the Center for Michigan and a coalition of Lansing-based interest groups have urged greater attention to the overwhelming cost of Michigan’s prison system.
On Thursday, the Corrections Reform Coalition turned its attention to Michigan’s next governor.
Seven business organizations, the Center for Michigan, and the Presidents Council State Universities of Michigan signed letters to Virg Bernero and Rick Snyder urging them to enact “sweeping prison system reforms” if elected in November.
Despite a declining prison population, prison costs are still on the rise. The Michigan Department of Corrections accounts for nearly one-quarter of the state general fund budget.
“We must look at personnel costs, prisoner health care costs, and other potential management efficiencies,” the coalition wrote to the gubernatorial candidates. “We must look systematically at who we imprison for which crimes and for how long. We must strengthen re-entry programs to assure parolees find productive employment an avoid re-incarceration.”
2 Comments
We’re the highest cost per-inmate in the country. Why has this taken so long? Our governor wants early releases to solve the problem. Guess what? If you do the math, we’re still the highest cost-per-inmate!
Mr. Moore – In Michigan, there are no “early releases.” State law banned them more than a decade ago. All prisoners are now held at least to the court-ordered minimum term. One of the reasons we’ve had higher costs is that many serve time long after that date. Our average time served is much longer than in comparable states. That costs hundreds of millions of dollars every year, but we don’t buy more public safety for it.