Michigan: Michigan Gets Highest Rank in Nation for Safe Prisoner Releases

By: Candice Burns
Published: March 4, 2010
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According to two new reports, Michigan leads the country in safely releasing prisoners back into society. The two studies were conducted nationally by Justice Strategies, and the Sentencing Project. Both companies advocate for criminal justice reform. Their findings were released Wednesday by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency. According to the organization the numbers show Michigan has done well in downsizing its prison system.

Elizabeth Arnovits, Executive Director, Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency: "Basically what it says about Michigan is that we have done a very thoughtful and very good job of reducing prison populations, making sure the right people are in prison and making sure people don't stay longer than is necessary, and reducing cost at the same time."

To conduct the study data was gathered from Michigan's correctional system, and compared with other prisons from across the nation. According to the report from 2006-2009 the state reduced its prison population by 12%, without any increase in crime. The decline is credited to changes in sentencing, the restructure of community corrections planning, and the success of the state's prison re-entry program. But not everyone is buying the report in its entirety.