Over the past several months, the Michigan Legislature has considered eliminating “Truth in Sentencing,” and allow prison inmates to earn “productivity credits” resulting in an earlier release.
As your Huron County Prosecutor, and on behalf of this office, I am very concerned with this proposed legislation. I do not believe this bill is in society’s public safety interest. If passed, the legislation would give “good time” credit that would reduce a sentence ordered by a Circuit Court Judge, resulting in an early release from prison.
Since 2000, Michigan has operated on the “Truth in Sentencing” law. For example, a person sentenced by the Circuit Court Judge to 10 years in prison would have to serve the entire 10 years before the person is eligible for parole. Prior to the passage of “Truth in Sentencing,” if the Circuit Court Judge sentenced a person to 10 years in prison, that person could be released in 6-7 years with good time. There was no certainty in what the sentence would be for crime victims because good time is set by the Department of Corrections. Prior to 2000, some prisoner parolees who were released early because of “good” time, committed new crimes when they should have still been in prison. “Truth in Sentencing” provides the victims of crime, and society in general, the certainty of time for a prison sentence as determined by a judge.
Every two years various special interest groups in Lansing attack Michigan’s “Truth in Sentencing” law. These efforts have included using such terms such as “Good Time” or in this case, “Productivity Credits”. The result is the same: early release of prison inmates under the guise of reducing prison population, arguing that it will reduce the Department of Corrections’ budget, and incentivize prisoners to take advantage of programming in the prison system.
PAAM Press Release
To read the press release issued by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan click on the image. It provides additional concerns with this proposed bill.
The History of the “Truth in Sentencing” Law
If one looks at the number of prisoners with the Michigan Department of Corrections from year to year, you will see the number of prisoners has gone from 50,203 in 2007, to about 33,000 currently. This reduction in the number of prisoner commitments has taken place without using “productivity credits” as an incentive. 80% of the prisoners committed to the Michigan Department of Corrections are there for assaultive crimes such as Criminal Sexual Conduct, Murder, Robbery, Home Invasions, etc. Less than 8% are in prison for Drug crimes. Society needs to be protected from these violent individuals who were sentenced to prison.
Productivity Credits will not save the taxpayers money by reducing the number of people being sentenced to prison. In 2007, the Michigan Department of Corrections budget was approximately $2 billion. Currently, the Michigan Department of Corrections budget remains at $2 billion despite reducing the number of prison inmates by approximately 17,000. Early release of inmates did not save taxpayer dollars.
“If you disagree with the efforts to undermine “Truth in Sentencing” in Michigan by implementing “Productivity Credits,” I urge you to contact your State Senator and State Representative and let them know.”
Productivity Credits have been pushed by special interest groups as an incentive to get prisoners to complete programming in prison prior to release on parole. This is also not true, and it is not needed. When you look at the data from the Michigan Department of Corrections, 96% of the inmates currently are involved in programming so they will be eligible for parole after their minimum sentence is served. The idea of Productivity Credits is therefore to incentivize 4% of the prison population to do what 96% of the prison population is already doing.
Putting Society at Risk of Harm
Michigan will not be safer with the implementation of Productivity Credits. Our society will be at more risk with the release of prisoners before the completion of their sentences. Justice will not be served for the victims of crime who were told by our Courts how many years an individual had to serve, and then be allowed to be released early.
If you disagree with the efforts to undermine “Truth in Sentencing” in Michigan by implementing “Productivity Credits,” I urge you to contact your State Senator and State Representative and let them know. While the legislature has adjourned for the year, I anticipate this bill will be reintroduced in the next legislative term. This bill is not the right step to protect us from convicted offenders. It puts all of us at risk, and it will not make Michigan a safer place to live.
