As Jeremy noted several weeks back, Michigan is currently sinking one-fifth of the entire state budget — $1.9 billion per year — into maintaining our 51,000 prisoners and 75,000 parolees and ex-cons on probation. Furthermore, because we are in a budget crisis, the state has found itself in the patently absurd position of having to parole violent criminals early while continuing to incarcerate non-violent drug offenders who must serve their entire federally mandated “mandatory minimum” sentence (setting aside the fact that 30+ years of mandatory minimum sentencing have done nothing to halt drug abuse or drug related crimes in the state.)
In a fall slap in the face of reason:
we are spending roughly three times as much on each person who has been convicted of a crime as we are on each of the students who are, hopefully, Michigan’s future.
(Thank Jack Lessenberry for pointing this out — and check out the entire essay,because its a sharp read on our prison conundrum.)
Thankfully, it seems that we’re on the cusp of making some rational and realistic changes in how we’re doing things in this state:
Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants to begin commuting sentences of inmates who pose no safety threat to the public as part of an effort to reduce the state’s prison population.
The Governor is right: Prisons are for locking up dangerous animals who cannot safely interact with their fellow human beings. Right now we are blowing more than $15,000 a year per person — i.e. one year’s tuition at one of our state colleges — in order to keep pot heads from getting chubby and leaching off their parents. Bravo to the Gov. for taking the risk of seeming “soft on crime” in order to stop irrationally flushing my tax dollars down the toilet.
Commute Dr. Death’s sentence! Let all the pot heads and rave tweakers out! If Jack Kevorkian and some stoners sneak up on me in a dark alley, I’m pretty sure I can take care of myself.
Dave-o is a frequent contributor to the Hugs video-cast. He unabashedly supports Poor Mojo’s Newswire, a blog of merit since 1905 — now available electronically!
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6 users commented in " Mich. Gov. Granholm Looking to Thin the Prison Population "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackIf it’s getting easier to get out, why was my fience denied release from parole. He’s has been trying really hard to do right by the state conditions, I’m am actually quite proud of him. Even his perole officer thinks he’s doing good. He was told to keep his nose clean for 6 months, and he would be released. Now they have changed it to another 24 months. He hasn’t been in any trouble in over 7 years. Since he’s been with me he started to change to live a better life. He has actually been on perole since 1983. He just never tried to do right before. Now I worry he will go back to his old ways because the state that you are calling lenient, won’t give him a chance. Now he figures why should he try to do right when it gets him nowhere. I am in texas and he was supposed to follow me down here when he was released. Now we are appart and he can’t start a new life because of this. now I have to try to find a way to get back up there, try to find a job, and hope we can weather another 2 years of fighting through life. So I really fail to see any of that early release stuff happening. By the way, you can’t get rid of the drugs, but I’d much rater 1.9 million dollars goes to jobs and rehabilitation of ex-cons than supporting dealers. By the way, if anyone reads this that can help, his name is James Zimmerman Ms. Washington is his parole officer through pontiac office.
I do agree about the promblems with our men and
women on probation and parole. many have tryed
to get off of parole.but they want them to pay money they do not have. so that means they have to stay with the system until they get a job to make the money to get off parole. no one will hire a person on parole. so what happens is the person gives up and who knowns what happens. the system is not helping these people. they continue to go around the prsion cycle. and no really cares. in michigan all the
men appear to be in jail or prsion.
I agree with the last comment. How can someone change when you don’t give these guys classes in prison. How can they get a job when their record is destroyed. The prison officers pick with these guys too. No want wants to make the situation better to keep some of these guys out of prison. Granted everyone cant be helped but a lot can.
as a ex prisoner of this state i have a point that should be look into the large amount of money that is bing spent is not being used on the prisoners, staff eats speacial meals from the state budget as i have work in the kitchen at the macomb corr. fac not all staff alot of them think it is their food as a banquet unit 6 level 1 frist shift eats doublefood all day long that is where the money goes not to the inmate the prison staff is the biggest cost
why dont they put prisoners close to home soyou can visit more often my son is350 miles away im 77 my husband 81 we still try to visit him at least once a month he was sentensed for haveing 2 sudifed boxes in his van he was stoped for no passinger mirror on the passinger side which is not aganst the law he wassentensed 6 to 20 years
My dad has ben in for 30 years has not got in
Any trouble still to this day say he didn’t do
The crime all evidence does not match to point
To my dad but little help from the state we pay
To live in he has denied all pleabargians has past
All lie detector test he has 7 kids who would love
To see our dad get back the little life he has left
If this would have been looked it to he would have
Been home 30 years ago we still believe got
Will bring him home soon
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