Michigan

Michigan Initiatives

In partnership with Michigan state leaders, the CSG Justice Center is working on several key criminal justice initiatives to increase public safety, including Stepping Up and Justice Reinvestment.

State

Stepping Up

Stepping Up is a national initiative to reduce the number of people…

State

Justice Reinvestment

Justice Reinvestment is a data-driven approach to improve public safety, reduce corrections…

Justice Reinvestment in Michigan

In January 2013, the CSG Justice Center embarked on a Justice Reinvestment approach in Michigan to help state leaders identify and address the most pressing criminal justice system challenges.

Overview

In Michigan, one of every five state dollars is spent on corrections. While policymakers look for ways to contain the high costs of corrections, victims, law enforcement, and prosecutors have urged caution against letting fiscal concerns trump efforts to reduce crime and protect the public. Everyone seems to agree, however, that the state should be getting a much greater return on the significant investments taxpayers currently make in the criminal justice system.

From 2013 to 2014, the CSG Justice Center worked with Michigan state leaders to study the state’s felony sentencing system for its impacts on public safety, recidivism trends, and state and local spending. CSG Justice Center staff analyzed data and interviewed stakeholders from across the criminal justice system. In a report to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (MLRC), a bipartisan group of legislators and public members, the CSG Justice Center presented analyses and policy areas for further development.

The state enacted legislation to establish a structure for continual analysis of Michigan’s sentencing practices and justice system by establishing a Criminal Justice Policy Commission and concentrated community corrections funding on programs proven to reduce recidivism.

Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Overview (June 20, 2013): This overview highlights the issues and potential areas of analysis surrounding Michigan’s sentencing guidelines, as well as recent criminal justice trends based on initial analyses of available summary level data.

Presentations

Justice Reinvestment (since 2014)

First Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (June 20, 2013): Initial presentation detailing the goals of Justice Reinvestment, as well as an analysis of Michigan’s sentencing guidelines, and current trends with prison population, delivered to the Michigan Law Revision Commission.

Second Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (September 24, 2013): Presentation of intermediate analyses, including what works to reduce recidivism, stakeholder perspectives about sentencing, and sentencing practices in Michigan, delivered to the Michigan Law Revision Commission.

Third Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (December 11, 2013): Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission on CSG’s latest analysis of sentencing data, and how Michigan’s sentencing guidelines affect and interact with corrections resources, parole decisions and supervision.

Fourth Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (February 13, 2014): Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission about best practices for reducing criminal behavior and examples of effective swift and certain probation violation response programs across the country, and Swift and Sure Sanctions Program in Michigan.

Fifth Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (March 19, 2014): Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission on the structural allowances for disparity in the state’s sentencing system, and the public safety impacts of sentencing, time served, and supervision.

Sixth Presentation to the Michigan Law Revision Commission (May 13, 2014): The presentation includes opportunities for policy development to improve the state’s sentencing system to achieve more consistency and predictability in sentencing outcomes, stabilize and lower costs for the state and counties, and direct resources to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.

Justice Reinvestment Archive Publications (2008–2010)

Michigan Justice Reinvestment Working Group: Bipartisan Plan to Increase Public Safety and Reduce Spending: January 2010 Update (January 15, 2010)
Michigan Justice Reinvestment Working Group: Bipartisan Plan to Increase Public Safety and Reduce Spending (May 15, 2009)
Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Analyses and Policy Options (January 22, 2009)
Analyses of Crime, Community Corrections, and Sentencing Policies (January 15, 2009)
Policy Options to Deter Crime, Lower Recidivism, and Reduce Spending on Corrections (January 15, 2009)
Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Reducing Crime, Victimization and Corrections Spending (July 15, 2008)

Final Report

Applying a Justice Reinvestment Approach to Improve Michigan’s Sentencing System (May 13, 2014): The report outlines areas for policy development, including opportunities to improve the state’s sentencing system to achieve more consistency and predictability in sentencing outcomes, stabilize and lower costs for the state and counties, and direct resources to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.

Michigan Report Technical Appendix (July 1, 2014): This technical appendix is a collection of data analysis slides the CSG Justice Center staff have previously presented to the Michigan Law Revision Commission.

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