| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Budget Update February 2009 | |
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| Data Points |
Prison Population
1991: 31,000
2006: 51,000
2009: 48,000
2006: 11,094
2008: 9,715
Parole population:
2006: 17,000
2008: 20,000
Parole returns with new sentence:
2006: 2,020
2008: 2,077
Source: MDOC presentation to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections, February 17, 2009. For a copy, click here. |
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| February eNews: Budget and Training Info |
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This edition is crammed with important timely information that affects the future of the MPRI: the Governor's Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget for the Department of Corrections, the federal stimulus funds, and related items.
The budget information is critically important to understanding what lies ahead for the MPRI. Please review it and forward it to all who need to be aware of this information. Don't assume they already receive a copy.
To invite your networks of colleagues, friends, or family to subscribe to MPRI eNews, send this link to your e-mail list:
In addition to budget information, this issue also includes a great training opportunity. Be sure to give it a look.
As always, we thank you for reading! Please send us your comments and suggestions.
Jeff Padden and Paul Elam
Public Policy Associates, Inc. |
| Governor's Budget for Corrections |
On February 12, Governor Granholm sent to the legislature her budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2009-10, which starts October 1, 2009. Her recommendation included overall savings in the Corrections budget and a substantial reinvestment in the MPRI, focused on what has been proven to improve public safety. This reinvestment is for both FY 2009-10 and the current year. For a press release about the entire budget, click here. For a copy of the Corrections Department budget bill, click here. For the narrative that illuminates that recommendation, click here. |
| MDOC Presents Budget to House Appropriations Committee |
Corrections Director Patricia Caruso unveiled the FY 2009-10 budget for her department on February 17. For a report on her testimony, click here.
The budget captures savings based on better preparing prisoners for successfully re-entering the community. Deputy Director Dennis Schrantz presented the details of how this will be accomplished. For his presentation, click here. For a summary of how the savings will be reinvested, click here.
Expanding the Parole Board is an important element of the strategy. For the Governor's Executive Order about the Board, click here. | |
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| A New ARRA in Federal Funding |
The federal stimulus funding, formally known as the American Recovery and Revitalization Act (ARRA) will provide $787 billion nationally and over $18 billion to Michigan in an effort to reignite our economy. Many elements of the ARRA package are relevant to the MPRI, including education and training, housing, poverty-related services, justice programs including victims' compensation, and others. This funding is likely to have a substantial impact on Michigan's budget, but the details are not clear yet. For a detailed memo about the ARRA funding from the National Governor's Association, click here. For a spreadsheet that shows allocations by category for each state, click here. |
| More Paroles + MPRI = Public Safety |
Barbara Sampson, Chair of the Michigan Parole Board, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 17. The Committee wondered how the number of parolees could increase without putting the public as risk. Ms. Sampson pointed out that by better preparing prisoners for release, the MPRI makes it possible for paroles to be made without increasing risk. As documented in the MDOC presentation to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections, the number of parolees returned to prison for new crimes has not increased at all even though the number of parolees has gone up by about 3,000. For a report on Ms. Sampson's Senate appearance, click here. |
| How to Help Former Prisoners with Employment |
Counselors, employment and placement specialists, and job coaches find special challenges as they work with former prisoners. The MARO Employment and Training Association is a network of organizations that create opportunities for people with barriers to community access and employment, and it is offering a day-long training in March to help employement professionals meet those challenges. To see when, where, and how much, click here. | |
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