MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update
November/December 2009: Schrantz Leaves Mark as MPRI Trailblazer
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| Data Points |
Total MPRI Releases through 9/2009: 19,105
Expected number of returns: 6,491
Actual number of returns: 4,408
Improvement: 2,083
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 November-December 2009 MPRI eNews! |
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As the year comes to a close, the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative continues to make our communities safer and even cleaner, and offer new hope and opportunities for MPRI parolees.
In Kent County, police are working with the MPRI on a new re-entry program at the jail. In Battle Creek, parolees are helping clean graffiti and fight gang violence. In northwest Michigan, MPRI participants are getting welding training that will help them compete in the job market.
As MPRI continues to grow and improve, it will forever be in the debt of Dennis Schrantz, the Michigan Department of Corrections deputy director whose vision and leadership steered it from the idea stage to a groundbreaking statewide initiative. Mr. Schrantz has announced he is leaving the MDOC.
As always, we're eager to spread the 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 check it out. 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. |
| SPECIAL REPORT: Schrantz Leaves MPRI Legacy for Michigan |
 Dennis Schrantz, affectionately known as "the Godfather of the MPRI," has left the MDOC to pursue other opportunities. All of us who have worked on the MPRI have benefited from his creativity, intelligence, and energy.
MDOC Director Patricia Caruso expressed her gratitude to Dennis - whom she often refers to as the 'architect' of the initiative - for his invaluable contributions over the past seven years. She also stated uniquivocally that the MPRI continues to be MDOC's blueprint for the future. "If anything, his departure means that I will be more directly involved in the MPRI. I will personally ensure that it continues to become thoroughly embedded in every prison and parole office in Michigan."
Commenting on his departure, Mr. Schrantz said, "I am as committed and passionate about MPRI as ever - if not more so now that I am outside of state government. My work in Michigan will continue in this new phase of my career and, if anything, I have a renewed sense of advocacy as I join thousands of other MPRI stake holders in the community supporting this herculean transformation. My work - our work - is far from over. 'One door closes and another opens' has always been my philosophy and this is certainly the case now."
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Parolees Welding Program Leads to Hope, Skills, Jobs
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 We all know that returning prisoners have a much better chance at success when they develop skills and find jobs. Five clients with the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative were among
the participants in a welding class at the Wexford-Missaukee Career
Tech Center in Cadillac that is doing just that.
The Northwest Michigan MPRI has created a teriffic Web site. To see it, click here. To check out its youtube videos about the welding program, click here. |
New Rutgers University Study Shows Benefits of Re-Entry Programs
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 A new study of female ex-offenders provides more evidence that strong, comprehensive re-entry programs help returning prisoners become law-abiding citizens. Heather Tubman-Carbone of the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations found that parolees who were in the Female Offender Re-Entry Group were less likely to commit a crime than those who were not. To see the nj.com article on the study, click here. For a press release on the study, click here. For a youtube video testimonial by one of the participants, click here. |
| More States, Including Michigan, Looking at Earned Time Credits |
With states seeking to get control of prison costs and to prepare prisoners to succeed when they return home, a growing number of them are allowing inmates to earn time off sentences through good behavior and participating in classes and services that enhance their chances of success. In Rhode Island, for instance, some prisoners can reduce their time in prison by taking part in rehabilitation programs while they are incarcerated.
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that in a program targeted at nonviolent offenders, inmates who earned reduced sentences were less likely to commit new crimes than similar offenders who stayed in prison longer. According to a recent report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, 31 states currently have some type of Earned Time policy, and Michigan is considering it.
To see the Associated Press article on what states are doing, click here.
For a policy statement from the MDOC on Earned Time, click here. |
Lansing State Journal Showcases MPRI Success
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The Lansing State Journal gets the importance of successful re-entry of parolees, and the capital city newspaper pointed out the importance of the MPRI in making that a reality. Its recent story also described the vital role of the Lansing Police Department in monitoring and assisting parolees. To see the State Journal article, click here. |
Muskegon Heights Parolee Credits the MPRI for Turning Life Around
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After serving five years behind bars, Jose Loera knows there's nothing glamorous about prison and wants to spread that message to youth. He credits God and the MPRI for getting him back on the right track. The Muskegon Chronicle highlighted his story in an article that illustrates the effectiveness of the MPRI. To see the complete story, click here. |
Kent County Launches Transition from Jail to Community Project
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Kent County is working to develop a program for jail inmates based on the same principles as the MPRI. Kent County is one of six communities across the country taking part in the Transition from Jail to Community project, which coordinates efforts by police, courts, and social services agencies to address the needs of inmates before they are released from jail. To see the Grand Rapids Press article on the project, click here. |
Department of Corrections Considers Skill-Sharing Program
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In tight economic times, some communites have created skill-exchange programs, where neighbors trade services rather than pay for them in cash. Services can include anything from cooking dinners to repairing chimneys.
The Michigan Department of Corrections is considering creating its own program to help returning prisoners re-integrate into the community.
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Battle Creek Ex-Offenders Clean Up Graffiti
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In Battle Creek, parolees and probationers helped clean up the city and remove gang graffiti. Nearly 40 men grabbed paint brushes and rollers to remove the graffiti on walls, signs, and streets. The project was organized by the MPRI, county probation agents, and the Battle Creek Police Department -- another sign of the growing cooperation between the MPRI and law enforcement. To see the Battle Creek Enquirer article, click here. |
Warren Center Gives Playground Equipment to School
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 The Self Help Addiction Rehabilitation (SHAR) Center in Warren, which houses some ex-offenders, has helped a Lutheran school by donating unneeded playground equipment. The SHAR Center moved into the former Children's Home of Detroit facility, and since it has an adult clientele, didn't need the playground equipment, including swings, slides, and a climbing wall. To see the story in the Warren Weekly, click here. | |
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