A new commission will be tasked with finding ways to cut Michigan’s prison spending without compromising public safety. Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation on Monday creating the panel.
Michigan currently spends about $2 billion a year on its corrections system. Advocates say much of that money is wasted “warehousing” criminals who have already served their minimum sentences and who pose no threat to public safety.
“There’s certainly much more we can do,” said Shelli Weisberg with the ACLU of Michigan. “But, actually, in my experience for how long it takes to get things done in Michigan, I think this is a really good first start.”
Weisberg admits she’s worried the Legislature will not provide the commission with adequate funding.
The bill was originally part of a larger package of bills that would have gone much farther toward overhauling Michigan’s corrections system. The rest of the bills failed to clear the Legislature before the end of its “lame duck” session.
Law enforcement groups and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette put forward a strong last-minute effort to defeat legislation that would have made big changes to Michigan’s sentencing, parole, and probation systems.
