| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update
July 2009: The MPRI Under Fire - Time for Action | |
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| 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. |
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| Welcome to the July 2009 MPRI eNews! |
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It's not entirely surprising, but after five years of stunning support for the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative, we're suddenly under attack. And the first casualty of this political war is truth.
The motivations are clear. A few corrections workers facing the prospect of closed prisons are fighting to save their jobs and are distorting the facts to make their case. Of course, the vast majority of corrections workers support the MPRI and have played a key role in making it the success that it is.
While the MPRI enjoys overwhelming support from many in the law enforcement community, a few prosecutors and other elected officials are misrepresenting it as "an early release program" to score political points.
An effort is underway in the Legislature to cut MPRI funds. We have to fight back with the truth -- and aggressively let the public, as well as lawmakers, know the value of the MPRI. It enhances public safety by giving prisoners and parolees the tools they need to succeed on the outside. It enhances their support and supervision from the day they leave prison.
This is a time for action. There are countless ways to speak out. Write a letter to the editor. Voice your opinion in response to online articles. Call talk radio. Communicate with your local lawmaker. Get the word out through blogs and social networking. Tell your community coordinator you want to help.
Now more than ever, we need you to step up and spread the important word about 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 Under Fire in Livingston County |
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In case you're not sure about whether the attacks on the MPRI are real, here's a recent example.
Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse is no fan of the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative, to say the least. In an article in the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, he charges that the MPRI is endangering Michigan citizens by paroling prisoners with violent criminal histories.
"The public has been sold this notion we're only going to be letting out these non-violent people who are safe to be let back out in society," he said.
The MPRI was never intended to limit itself to non-violent prisoners. In fact, some of the biggest gains in public safety come from reducing the risk of high-risk prisoners. The reality is that more than 90 percent of prisoners are eventually released, and the MPRI provides tools to help all parolees become productive, law-abiding citizens.
For a copy of the Livingston Daily Press & Argus story, click here. | |
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| Rapid Response Sets Record Straight |
 When MPRI critics (who stand to lose their jobs when prisons close) made false claims about the MPRI, Public Policy Associates President Jeff Padden wasted no time in responding and laying out the facts.
The big lie being cast about is that the MPRI is "an early release program." In fact, every MPRI parolee has served at least his or her minimum sentence -- and usually more.
Mr. Padden wrote a Viewpoint column in the Lansing State Journal and followed up with a radio interview on 1320-AM in Lansing.
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| Stakeholders Discuss Management of Sex Offenders |
MPRI stakeholders met on July 16 to discuss effective strategies for managing sex offenders. Experts from the Center for Sex Offender Managment led the discussion at the forum sponsored by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency in partnership with the Michigan Department of Corrections and Public Policy Associates, Inc. The meeting was one of a series of MPRI Taking Action meetings bringing together stakeholders to gain a better understanding of effective ways to improve community safety. In August, the focus will be on specific interventions that communities can use to drive down risk.
For the key points of the report, click here. For more information on effective sex offender management, click here. |
| Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith Confident Lawmakers Will Support the MPRI |
 Despite some recent criticism of the MPRI, State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township says it continues to enjoy bipartisan support in the Legislature. Rep. Smith, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections, is one of the MPRI's strongest champions. She talked to the MPRI eNews about why she supports the Initiative, why she believes lawmakers will ultimately give it the financial support it needs, and what supporters need to do to help.
To read the eNews article about Rep. Smith's interview, click here. |
| The MPRI Is Cover Story |
 The Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative continues to draw attention nationally as a model for other states to learn from.
The lead story in the July-August edition of the Community Corrections Report on Law and Corrections Practice is an in-depth description of the Initiative, written by Michigan Department of Corrections deputy director Dennis S. Schrantz. It cites the public safety gains made since the MPRI was implemented -- with the percentage of parolees returning to prison with new sentences falling to its lowest rate since 2005.
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| Free Press Debunks "Dumping Ground" Charge |
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The Detroit Free Press took the mayor of Warren to task for firing "misguided missiles at the Department of Corrections" in alleging that the state is using the Macomb County city as a dumping ground for drug addicts and sex offenders without the knowledge of city officials. Parolees as a rule return to their home communities. While the Detroit Free Press said there's room for improvement in communications, it found the mayor's rhetoric was counter-productive.
To see the Detroit Free Press article, click here. |
California Officials Check Out Michigan Prisons |
 California officials recently visited Michigan to take a closer look at two prisons as they assess whether to transfer their prisoners to facilities scheduled to close in Michigan.
Governor Jennifer Granholm approached California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June about the possibility of renting out prison space. The move would help California with prison overcrowding and save hundreds of Corrections Department jobs in Michigan.
If you would like to see the actual letter Granholm wrote, click here. |
| MPRI Particpants Help Reuse, Recycle, and Resell in Detroit "Deconstruction" Project |
 MPRI participants have been helping to take down downtown homes in Detroit with an eye toward reusing, recycling, and reselling as much of the materials as possible. The deconstruction project has numerous benefits. It gets rid of abandoned homes that can be conducive to crime, makes good use of the materials, and provides work for minority men employed through the Goodwill's Flip the Script program, including MPRI parolees.
To see the complete Detroit News story, click here. |
| State Officials Share Ideas on Corrections Spending |
 Michigan is not alone in seeking effective ways to cut corrections costs while at the same time enhancing public safety. Lawmakers from across the country shared ideas earlier this month at a National Conference of Legislatures' summit in Philadelphia. The corrections forum was moderated by Mitch Bean, director of the Michigan House Fiscal Agency.
To read the Gongwer News Service report on the conference, click here. | |
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