Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on September 7, 2005

Click here to view bill details.

I support this bill. To many young Black men are being warehoused in the prison industrial complex for non violent crimes and some crimes categorized as violent by were not. The court system for poor and Black are not equal. Particularly in Detroit, where over 80% of the accused are Black and 80% of the juries are white. The MI Supreme Court just gave affrimative rights to the Wayne County jury pool, instead of ensuring that the accused have a right to a jury of their peers. The Sentencing Project in DC has exposed, African American and people of color committing the same crimes as Whites are charges with more severe crimes and get more time. This is equally evident in who gets life in prison or the death sentence. Returning good time would be one remedy to a system that has regressed to southern justice 40 years ago.

I just called Mr. Cushingberry Jr. George's office. I spoke with his Secratary and this is where the Bills for Good Time #'s 5129, 5130 and 5131 stand. Mr. VanRegenmorter William is the one that is Refusing these Bills to be heard. He is not allowing the Bills to go any further. We all need to call and email him and tell him we want these Bills to be heard and not to deny them anymore. His email is wmvanreg@house.mi.gov and the phone number to his office is 1-517-373-8900. Mr Cushinberry's Secretary gave me that number and forwarded me to it to leave a message to tell him to hear the bills. Any Emails they get to Mr. Cushinberry about these bills they forward to MR Vanregenmorter. Just for thought, the reason why these bills are being refused to be heard is because the Prisons get 42,000.00 per Prisoner in Michigan and they dont want to lose any profits from this. They do not care how over crowded it is because they will use the funds to build more facilities and keep these prisoners locked up to get their money. Oh and of course....Governor Granholm will not speak of the topics and is not asking for them to be heard neither. She is not saying anything, how nice seeing that it will be her HUSBAND that will get the contracts to build these new Prisons and such! Do you all know that? Yes, she owns a percentage of a construction company and her Husband owns the rest and it is their company that is getting all the contracts because.....They see the BIDS and Underbid everyone so they get the jobs! Now tell me who the crooks are? Please EVERYONE, Email Mr Vanregenmorter at the email above and call! Tell him to hear these bills! You can also contact Mr Cushingberrys office to verify this information I have just shared. His office number is 517-373-2276. I would like to also give you the fax number for Mr Vanregenmorter 1-517-373-8697 and Mr Cushingberry the good guys fax is 517-373-7186. Lets help Mr. Cushingberry help us! The more that we keep calling, emailing and Faxing, the better our chances for Mr. Cushingberry to be heard and address these Bills and get the word out and hopefully get the bills past! Keep on calling, emailing and faxing all! I am doing it every single day! Good Luck and I hope this works and the Bills will be heard! Patty of Garden City Michigan.....

Ok, here is another thought to get more satisfaction for everyone involved. Here is the address to Mr. VanRegenmorters office. Give this address to your loved one in prison or to who ever you want to send a letter to the jerk so he will allow these bills to be heard! They can also send Email to Mr. Cushingberry stating how they agree with him and why. The letter to Mr. Vanregenmorter should be stating Why they think the Bills 5129, 5130 and 5131 should be heard and why they agree with the bills new readings and allowances of the Good time Credits being given back! For the Bill and not being allowed to be heard is: George Cushingberry Jr. S0687 House Office Building P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909-7514 THE ONE THAT IS DENYING THE BILLS TO BE HEARD! REPRESENITIVE: William VanRegenmorter N1093 House Office Building P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909-7514 KEEP CALLING EVERYONE! KEEP EMAILING EVERYONE! KEEP FAXING EVERYONE AND KEEP MAILING! WE MUST BE HEARD! IT IS OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH THAT WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

I am new to this type of thing so my comments will be blunt and heartfelt for other's. Up until 2001 my husband and I would see things on tv and news about prisoners and/or where people proclaimed innocence, we always said things like it is hard to believe that the justice systems would allow such things. Well I am here to tell you that after April 2, 2006 my husband and I both had our lives ripped apart and changed forever. In 1982 my husbands wife fell and drowned in the shower all reports state "ACCIDENTAL CASE CLOSED" you are probably saying about now why all caps - because in 2001 almost 20 years later my husband is arrested and charged with first degree premeditated murder - sentence life. Yes, that is what I said 20 years later. I am appauled that our country is so messed up and crooked that COPS, PROSECUTORS, JUDGES AND EVEN LAWYERS CAN LIVE WITH THEMSELVES - it is horrifying to know these type of people are allowed to be in the positions they are in - I am not saying all are bad, my dealings in the past 5 years I haven't seen one that is honest and willing to fight and stand up for what is RIGHT, not the fact that they want to dramatize everything and falsify documents and get by with it! You are probably saying it can't happen - wrong it does and another thing when it does your at the mercy of crooked lawyers and it isn't a nice ride either, people lie and they take from you and tell you things that are absolute crap! Another thing when it happens you are put under a gag order until you hit the Supreme Court so you can't discuss how they lied and injustly accuse you of something until 4 or so years later and then no one can do anything you still have courts to go through. I want someone to tell me how in America we can allow this to happen - you don't hear about it and when someone is exonerated it is so many years down the road everything is lost and if they are lucky enough to have family that actually held on and really and truly believe in them and wait they are truly blessed. I am going to fight for my husband and I know in my heart he is innocent and GOD, not anyone else will bring him home to me I have a strong faith in God. However, with the things that this state does and gets by with is appauling and a disgrace. There should be a petition we could all sign and keep sending it to his email overloading it daily! GOD BLESS US ALL - AS WE NEED IT!

i really don't know what to say. i just can't believe that people would treat other people this way and claim that it is in the name of justice. how can they say that TIS preserves the integerty of the justice system when, first of all, any justice system that offers plea bargins, because they don't won't to spend the money to take someone to trial, has no integerty? why don't you go tell the little girl or boy, that just got raped or molested, that the person who did it will never serve a day on the charge that he really did because the court system didn't want to spend the time or money to take that person to trial and make him pay for what he really did (if he even did it at all). but i'm sure it'll be comforting to that little kid to know that that person will serve every day of that sentence. even though he'll do far less time because he plea bargined out to a lesser charge. these people put "criminals" in prison to put money in thier own pocket. TIS is just a way to get them to stay longer so that they can make more money off of them. these people don't care about justice, as they would lead you to believe. they just care about money. they arrest people, charge them with things they know damn well they didn't do, and then get them to plead guilty to lesser things so that they can keep their conviction rate up and make money off of them. if you'd like to know where i got my opinion from, i just got out of prison 7 months ago. i've seen all of this, and a whole hell of alot more, first hand. anyone who'd like to contact me can by e-mailing me at ninjaxxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com (that's 9x's after ninja)

now you may get on with your life. you have to remember that the justice system is a busniess. they have to keep a certain amount of people in prison to justify everyones job. the union will not stand for "guards" being lay off due reduction of inmates. the system in michigan is a farce, just like many other things in this state. i know a person that got tis 36 months to 15yrs. has been model prisoner, did everything on the list, plus, took exrta classes, did extra. work. only to be denied parole after the minimun. this person has never been in trouble with the law. first offender. paid all resitusion. etc. the person was told that they haven't taken reasponsiblity. the whole thing is b*******.

I think it is about time for those in the Legislature to quit dragging their feet and get this bill passed!! The "key" word here in this bill is "good behavior". Let those out who have made progress so we won't have to build new prisons.

according to what i've been told on this thread and the one for the other side, there ARE no classes offered, only sitting in the cell rotting. there ARE no educational opportunities, no chances to advance your education, no way to better yourself. they don't exist. i've been told this SEVERAL TIMES. okay, so which one of you is lying?

hi has bill 5130 passed yet

These bills have not passed as yet. Mr. VanRegenmorter was the person opposing these bills. His last day of employment is December 31, 2006. Rep Cushinberry will be in office January 1, 2007, and will be going in front of the committee January 10, 2007 to present these bills again I suggest all of you who support this bill, offer your support via e-mail, fax 517-373-7186 (fax) or mail George Cushingberry Jr. S0687 House Office Building P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909-7514

I think this bill should pass alot of peoples love ones are in prison The state is cutting funds and closing prison why not give them the good time on there sentences it would save the state money. i think everyone needs a second chance in life i also think instead of making them wait 2 yrs befort they can take any classes to help them is dumb when they frist go in to prison classes for what every they did should start right then now 2 to 3 yrs down the road work with them from the time going in till they are let go it would help keep them from returning to prison

if they are not a murder or a rapest they should be allowed good behavoir and men who are 18 and there girlfriend were 15 they should be consired non violent they go to school togather now i could see if they were 20 or something and when parents allow them to live ther with there girlfriends there shold be good behavir allowed to them to

i think that good time should be brought back and some prison do allow classes right away but i think good time should be brought back even for men who were 18 years old and had a 15 year old girlfriend should be allowed good time to that is not fair to them because they are consider violent that is not right when some parents let them move in with there 15 year old daughters

Hello I am commenting on the good time bill . I am a rape victim and i am not an evil spirted person and i do to agree with the good time bill I feel that it needs to be passed. I have forgiven my assaulter . Everyone messes up in life but we all derserve second chances And if a prisoner has made changes for the better that should be taken into consideration .. They should not be locked down forever . Thats making them have an idle mind and a idle mind is a play place for the devil. I just ask that you look deep inside yourself and see the good in this bill and pass it . what if you were in that type of situation and your life (freedom ) depended upon the truth in sentence act. I am not bitter about my situation . God has helped me overcome that big obstacle . Hopefully god will soften your heart to . and pass that bill.