| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update
May 2008 |
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| Welcome to MPRI eNews! |
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This is the new format for MPRI eNews. It will provide monthly updates to those interested in the development of MPRI. Please let us know whether it meets your needs and what improvements you would like to see. |
| MPRI in the Legislature |
The Senate has passed the MDOC budget bill, including the full amount requested by the Governor for MPRI. On May 6, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections met to hear about MPRI. Presentations were made by several community representatives, including an MPRI "graduate," and by MDOC. All made impressive presentations and were very well received by all three subcommittee members. On May 20, the subcommittee reported the bill to the full Appropriations Committee with MPRI funding intact. For the budget bill and analyses, go to: MDOC budget info |
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| Peer Review of MPRI |
On April 29, Public Policy Associates, Inc., convened a national MPRI Evaluation Advisory Council -- comprised of leading researchers, policy people, and practitioners -- to conduct a peer review of MDOC's methods of tracking MPRI prisoner outcomes and the results. The following week, Jeff Padden, President of PPA, briefed a legislative committee on the session. Click here for a copy of his testimony. |
| Upcoming Opinion Leader Education Activities |
| As MPRI develops, it is critical that local opinion leaders receive current, accurate information about how the initiative affects their communities. This year, the JEHT Foundation is supporting work by MPRI to connect with law enforcement community leaders and with incoming legislators. Because of term limits and retirements, there will be at least 45 new members of the Michigan House of Representatives elected this year. Local MPRI leaders and supporters will be asked to help in a variety of ways. To find out more, click here. |
| Council of State Governments Justice Center Aids Michigan |
The CSG Justice Center is working with nine states that, according to the CSG web site, "demonstrate a bipartisan interest in justice reinvestment -- a data-driven strategy for policymakers to reduce spending on corrections, increase public safety, and improve conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return." Partly due to Michigan's dedication to prisoner reentry, Michigan is now one of them. Click here for a look at what CSG is doing in Michigan and other states.
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| COMPAS Rollout to Communities |
COMPAS is the assessment tool that examines the risks and strengths of prisoners. The results guide decisions about supervision and services that will increase public safety summarized in a constantly evolving Transition Accountability Plan (TAP). MDOC's Correctional Facilities Administration (CFA) has put into place a detailed process for the COMPAS and TAP. For a look inside the CFA process, take a look at this three-page memo.
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| Update on MPRI Workforce Issues |
| Employment readiness, finding jobs and keeping them, and developing promising careers are critical issues for prisoners headed back to communities. If they succeed with employment, their odds of returning to prison decline dramatically. For a report on how to position former prisoners for workplace success and to read about efforts underway at MDOC and across the state, click here. |
| Reducing Domestic Violence |
An MPRI partner agency, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS), is providing assistance on reducing domestic violence by and for returning prisoners. The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB), within DHS, will work with MDOC to develop an assessment tool to predict domestic violence as a likely issue upon release. The agencies will work together to develop and implement education and therapeutic services to male prisoners six months prior to release from prison and in local MPRI sites. The programming would address fatherhood and non-violent relationship strategies and co-parenting skills. For information on domestic violence and the services provided by the MDVPTB, click here. | |
| Review of the MPRI Comprehensive Planning and Community Development Structure |
| Over the past several months, MPRI leadership has been soliciting input from all stakeholder groups about the strengths and weaknesses of the current MPRI comprehensive planning and community development structure. That input took the form of stakeholder surveys, focus groups, meetings, and one-on-one phone calls. Once all the input had been received, a stakeholder workgroup was convened to sort through it, seeking ways of improving the structure and assuring quality. Click here to see the ideas that emerged from the workgroup. |
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This MPRI eNews Update is distributed monthly. Please forward it to anyone who might be interested by clicking on this link:
Again, we would appreciate any comments or suggestions that you would like to share. |
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Sincerely,
Paul Elam
Public Policy Associates, Inc. |
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