Over 25% of the more than 44K state employees work for the MI Dept. of Corrections.
The average cost of custody per incarcerated citizen is approximately $44k and is increasing by approximately $500/year.
As MI tax payers, we are projected to spend almost $216 million dollars updating and maintaining these facilities over the next 5 years
In the year 2007 the minimum sentence length was 44.1 months (Orange line)
This minimum sentencing length had increased by over 10 months to 54.9 months (by 2019 in Pink)
Make no mistake, Michigan is tough on crime.
Related to the mean time an individual serves, Michigan ranks #2 for All Offenses (which is 6.5 years)
However, when looking at how Michigan ranks in reported crimes, we are #2 for reported Rapes, 14th for reported Aggravated Assaults, 15th for Violent Crimes and 22 for Murder (2017 data)
So if locking people up for longer and longer is supposed to keep the public safer, it isn’t working
This is not necessarily a positive trend and better ways should be considered for reaching our criminal justice goals.
As MDOC has stated “We have fewer people coming to prison, but those who are coming are coming for a longer period of time.”
The current rate of population reduction is limited by statute
With the current structure of legislation in MI it will take approximately 45 years to cut the prison population in half.
Michigan is one of only six states with no policy for Good Time or Earned Time Credits and as such is out of step with the rest of the country.
31 States & the Federal Government provide a way for incarcerated citizens to earn some amount sentence reduction based on their behavior.
Meaning ⅔ of the country recognize and incentivize positive steps toward rehabilitation.
In 19 States you can earn at least a 20% sentence reduction and 9 states allow one to earn 50% or greater time off, again based on demonstrated corrected behaviors.
In Michigan the majority of victims of violent crimes, including the most serious crimes such as rape and murder of a family member, support proposals to reform the criminal justice system.
Implementation Results of Good Time in Other States
Analysis conducted after Washington expanded its good-time program in 2003 revealed small, but statistically significant, reductions in the recidivism rates. Overall, researchers calculated that the benefits of expanded good time far outweighed the costs, with about $1.88 in benefits for each $1 in cost.
In 1997, the New York Legislature established a new good-time program that allowed certain inmates to earn up to a one-sixth reduction in sentence length. By 2006, the program had saved taxpayers an estimated $387 million. Additionally, the early-release inmates were found to have lower recidivism rates than nearly all other comparison groups.
Currently all 83 county jails in MI have a Good Time Policy available at the discretion of the sheriff.
Michigan Senate Bill 1050 introduced and passed in 2020 creates the opportunity for those who have completed ½ of their probation or supervision terms with no issues to be eligible for early discharge.