| MPRI eNews
May 2010: Education a Key to Successful Re-Entry
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update |
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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 May 2010 MPRI eNews! | |
We all know that returning prisoners have a much better chance of success if they find and keep jobs -- and that having the right education and skills is critical.
In this month's eNews, Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Gerritt makes a compelling case for providing more educational opportunities for inmates in prison. And a CNN report highlights a successful educational program at Mound Correctional Facility.
Meanwhile, Virginia is the latest state to set out on the path Michigan embarked on seven years ago -- creating a re-entry initiative to protect the public and make smart use of limited public dollars.
As always, we're eager to spread the word about the MPRI. Please send an e-mail to those 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: http://tinyurl.com/MPRI-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. |
Free Press Pushes for More Education in Prisons
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Most offenders enter prison with educational deficiencies, and helping them address those deficiencies while in prison is critical, Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Gerritt writes. Gerritt, a strong supporter of the MPRI, points out that investing in education for prisoners is an investment in public safety as well. He says that Wisconsin has an effective program where inmates can earn two-year associate's degrees in high-demand vocational fields. To read the Free Press column, click here. |
| Prosecutors Appealing Less Than 1% of Paroles | |
Last year, media reports suggested that some county prosecutors believed too many prisoners were being paroled. From those reports, it sounded as though prosecutors were gearing up to appeal a large fraction of the 17,000 paroles per year. In fact, the number of parole decisions being appealed by prosecutors is well below one percent. Through April, prosecutors had appealed only 19 out of nearly 4,300 parole approvals. Seventy-four of the 83 prosecutors didn't appeal any paroles.
While this does not mean that prosecutors agree with all other paroles, it suggests that they do not see most parole decisions as being egregious. To learn more about the appeals, click here. |
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Kalamazoo County Asked to Ban the Box
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The Michigan Organizing Project is asking the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners to stop asking job applicants about their criminal background on applications. The group says the box on applications often prevents qualified candidates from getting consideration, making it harder for them to become productive citizens. The City of Kalamazoo has already removed criminal background questions from its applications. To read the Kalamazoo Gazette article, click here. |
CNN Highlights Prison Education Program in Detroit
|  The "School Within a Prison" at Mound Correctional Facility sets it apart from other prisons and offers returning prisoners a better chance at success, CNN reports.
The Prison Education Program allows inmates to earn college credits that they can transfer to community college upon their release. The program offers practical courses in areas such as solar paneling and urban gardening as well as custodial maintenance and computer refinishing.
To read the CNN article, click here.
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Niles Man Returns to Hometown to Help Former Inmates
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A Niles man who wound up with a criminal record after a fraternity prank knows all too well the difficulty of explaining that to potential employers. Now he's creating a non-profit agency to provide support to recently released prisoners. While the MPRI focuses primarily on medium- and high-risk offenders, Bill Anderson says his organization, "It's Possible," will take all comers. To see the South Bend Tribune article, click here. |
Virginia Governor Launches Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative
|  Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is following through on a campaign promise and making a big push to improve prison re-entry programs.
The Republican governor has developed a prisoner re-entry commission to produce recommendations by the end of the year. "It's smart government. It's the right thing to do. It saves money. And I believe most of us here in America believe we're a nation of second chances," he said.
To see the pilotonline.com article on Governor McDonnell's plans, click here. To see the governor's press release, click here.
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| Rick Snyder Supports Additional Funding for the MPRI |
For the first time in memory, a gubernatorial candidate has made the MPRI an issue. Republican Rick Snyder says the state has been short-sighted in cutting funding to prisoner re-entry initiatives and mental health services. At a forum in Saginaw Township, Snyder said such cuts lead to bigger problems and higher costs down the road, when people end up in hospital emergency rooms or back in prison. To see the Saginaw News story, click here. |
| Senator Pushes Commission to Study Criminal Justice System, Improve Re-Entry Programs |  U.S. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia is calling for a National Criminal Justice Commission to examine the country's prison system.
Senator Webb argues that the Unite States locks up too many people for too long, and then fails to give them the tools they need to succeed after release. He says re-entry programs in some parts of the country are haphazard or non-existent.
To see an IPS News Agency story, click here. To see a New York Times editorial, click here. To see Senator Webb's Web page on the commission, click here.
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