| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update March 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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| Welcome to the March 2009 MPRI eNews! |
Last month we had the biggest reaction ever when we presented a special edition about the Governor's new budget for the MPRI. If you missed it, just click here to see a copy. This month, you will read about funding through the Second Chance Act, helping families help prisoners succeed, reentry hitting the big time with a mention by Vice President Biden, and some info on reentry research. You can send this issue to up to five folks by clicking here. To invite your networks of colleagues, friends, or family to subscribe to MPRI eNews, send this link to your e-mail list:
As always, we thank you for reading! Please send us your comments and suggestions.
Jeff Padden and Paul Elam
Public Policy Associates, Inc. |
| Federal Second Chance Act $$ Available |
On April 9, 2008, the federal Second Chance Act became law. The Act promotes and supports the concepts of prisoner reentry that Michigan has been advancing over the past five years. Now, the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice is soliciting grants from state and local governments and federally-recognized Indian tribes for demonstration projects to promote prisoner reentry. The Reentry Policy Council has created an excellent toolkit for applicants to use in developing their responses. Grant applications are due by April 20, 2009. For access to the toolkit and extensive information about the act itself, click here. |
| MPRI Leader Testifies in D.C. |
Dennis Schrantz, Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, testified before a Congressional committee on March 11, 2009. He told the committee that: 1) reentry can be a successful crime fighting tool if it is "evidence based," 2) community programs are more effective to fight crime than prison, but for repeat violent offenders, both imprisonment and effective re-entry are needed, 3) the MPRI includes comprehensive local planning, plus effective monitoring and evaluation, and 4) reentry can reduce prison populations. He also said that the new Second Chance Act is good federal policy, but that more funding is needed. To read his entire statement to the committee, click here. For summaries of his testimony and that of others, click here. | |
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VP Biden Mentions Reentry |
 While officially announcing the appointment of the new Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Vice President Joe Biden said that drug courts and prisoner reentry are important "because they can serve as the light at the end of the tunnel...." To read a report about the announcement, click here. |
| Ready4Work Research Report |
In 2003 and 2004, sites in 11 cities--including Detroit--participated in the Ready4Work demonstration. Now, a research report by Public/Private Ventures provides an overall assessment of the demonstration. It provides a description of the Ready4Work participants, services provided to participants, program retention, and key outcomes related to employment and recidivism. Since no comparison or control groups were included in the study, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the demonstrations. For a copy of the full report, click here. |
| Lawrence Mead Researches MPRI |
On March 17 and 18, renowned public policy researcher Lawrence Mead of New York University was in Lansing as part of his current work. He is looking at "how government can cause low-income men to work more consistently." Dr. Mead was a major intellectual force behind many of the ideas that shaped welfare reform in the 1980s, and his new work may be just as influential.
To read a description of Dr. Mead's research design, click here. |
| Forum Focuses on Families |
A recent article in the Gongwer Michigan Report described a seminar entitled "Policy Options for Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Implications for Families ." The article said that "...Michigan State University's Department of Family and Child Ecology said on Thursday Michigan should change the focus of a justice system that is heavily reliant on expensive incarceration to one that invests in early intervention programs, community involvement and family-centered reentry." Carol Shapiro, Founder and President of Family Justice, was one of the presenters who laid out this perspective. To read the entire report, click here. To hear an audio clip from Ms. Shapiro, click here. |
| Evidence on Reducing Recidivism |
Two important studies on reducing recidivism were reported in the February edition of the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency (MCCD) E-Bulletin. A Colorado study showed that incarceration alone does not reduce crime, but that many other strategies can. An Urban Institute study showed that parole supervision alone does not reduce crime, but that when coupled with the kinds of interventions used in the MPRI, the value increases.
To see this issue of the MCCD E-Bulletin, click here. |
Pew Study: One in 31 in Corrections Net
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 In a landmark study, the Pew Center for the States analyzed the magnitude of the corrections system in the U.S. The study, One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections, examines the scale and cost of prison, jail, probation, and parole in each of the 50 states and provides a blueprint for states to cut both crime and spending by reallocating prison expenses to fund stronger supervision of the large number of offenders in the community. Extensive data and maps showing patterns of correctional control in Michigan are featured.
To see the study and related materials, click here. | |
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