| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update June 2009: MPRI Budget Hit in Senate | |
|
| Data Points |
Total MPRI Releases through 2/2009: 16,223
Expected number of returns: 5,014
Actual number of returns: 3,532
Improvement: 1,482
Note: While these results for MPRI parolees are precisely what was hoped for, it is still too early to say that MPRI activities alone caused the changes. For much more information, click here. |
|
|
| Welcome to the June 2009 MPRI eNews! |
|
It's crunch time in the Legislature as lawmakers work to wrap up the 2009-10 budget, including funding for the Department of Corrections and the MPRI. For the first time, the MPRI has not survived the process unscathed. Right now is a good time to contact your legislators to voice your opinion about MPRI funding.
Meanwhile, there are good things happening around the state. In Grand Rapids, youths got some sober advice from inmates at Bellamy Creek Corrections Facility. In Washtenaw County, a new urban farming project will be launched to help parolees adjust.
We want your help in spreading the important word of the MPRI. Please send an e-mail to your list of colleagues, friends, or family who might have an interest in the MPRI eNews and suggest they have a look. Cut and paste this link into your e-mail, so they can subscribe:
Thanks for your help. And, as always, we thank you for reading! Please send us your comments and suggestions.
Jeff Padden and Paul Elam
Public Policy Associates, Inc. |
| MPRI Takes a Hit in the Senate Budget Bill |
|
State lawmakers are closer to enacting a 2009-10 budget for the Department of Corrections after the Senate narrowly passed a $1.9 billion spending plan in a 20-16 vote on June 24. Some lawmakers disputed whether Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to close prisons will actually save the state $120 million and expressed concern about public safety as more prisoners are paroled. Funding for the MPRI, which had previously enjoyed broad bipartisan support, was reduced by $14 million from the Governor's budget recommendation of $53 million for FY-2010. The House is expected to reject the Senate version and put the budget into a conference committee to resolve the differences.
For a Gongwer News Service story on the Senate action, click here.
For a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of the bill, click here. |
| Inmates Urge Grand Rapids Youth to Stay Out of Trouble |
Grand Rapids' Wealthy Theatre was completely filled recently with a live broadcast from Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility. Inmates offered some straight talk and urged more than 400 young people in the audience to stay out of trouble and avoid a life of crime and prison. The Grand Rapids Police Department sponsored the event and plans to hold similar events in the future. To see a report, click here. | |
|
|
| Department of Corrections Explains Prison Closures |
The state's plans to close three prisons and five prison camps are expected to produce a savings of $120 million in reduced prison operations costs in Fiscal Year 2010. When considering the impact of cost increases out of the control of the Department-such as fuel, and retirement-the overall reduction in the Corrections' budget is $45 million. The closures are possible because of a decline in the number of prisoners, due in part to the success of the MPRI in reducing the number of parolees returning to prison and in part to fewer commitments to prisons by judges. Also contributing is the department's reconfiguration of the remaining prisons that will result in, for example, the closing of the Standish Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison, whose prisoners will be housed at other prisons.
The closure plan has created controversy and fueled rumors and, at times, misinformation. To set the record straight, the Department is explaining its decisions and how they were reached in a 10-page "Talking Points" document.
|
| Group Supports Closures, See Vital Role for the MPRI |
 A coalition is praising Gov. Jennifer Granholm's decision to close three prisons and five camps this year, the Center for Michigan reports. The group includes business, education and nonprofit groups including the Center for Michigan. In an open letter to the Governor and the Legislature, the coalition noted that prisoners who will be released as a result of the closures are already eligible for parole. It noted that the MPRI will play a critical role in ensuring "smooth and productive transitions for prisoners returning to society." To see the Center for Michigan report, click here. |
|
|
 Michigan's prison population is declining, due in part to the MPRI. That's not at all the case in some other states. Florida, with 100,000 prisoners, is out of money to build prisons to house them. The solution? They are shopping for prison beds for rent.
While it's not known whether Michigan is on their shopping list, an article from the St. Petersburg Times shows that they are in dire straights.
|
| The MPRI Draws Praise in Kentucky |
Michigan is by no means alone in facing budget pressures from its prison system. In Kentucky, the Lexington Herald-Leader says that re-entry programs are critical for success in bringing prison growth under control, and it cites the MPRI as a model, saying that the program was able to reduce the rate of offenders returning to prison by 24 percent. While it's not clear that the reduction can be solely attributed to the MPRI, it is encouraging to see other states noting its success. For the entire Lexington Herald-Leader article, click here. |
| Colorado Governor: Easing Prison Costs Will Help Universities |
 Colorado governor Bill Ritter believes that lowering prison spending will help his state invest more in higher education and produce more college graduates. Speaking to a "Making Opportunity Affordable" conference in Denver, Ritter said anti-recidivism programs will keep people from returning to a life of crime.
"We believe we can keep people from going back to prison with some different resources involved -- substance abuse, mental health, and things of that nature," he said. To see the complete article, click here. |
| Urban Farming Program Helps MPRI Participants |
A Washtenaw County couple is developing an urban farming community to help MPRI participants succeed. The program, called "Living Stones," is a faith-based social enterprise that will offer vocational training, education, enrichment, and empowerment opportunities to returning prisoners. Don and Amy Heath are committed to helping MPRI participants learn in an atmosphere of acceptance and accountability. To see the full story, click here. | |
|
|
|
|
|
