Michigan Votes Forum

Come on get real!! They have already cut as much as possible from the inmates. [no they haven't. we can cut more. what does an inmate NEED with a television? he can learn to read his bible.] They have cut all rehab, [rehab wouldn't necessary if the inmate wouldn't have BROKEN THE LAW by DOING DRUGS IN THE FIRST PLACE. it should be up to the inmate to pay to GET HIMSELF CLEAN, SOBER, AND LEGAL.] all job training, [the rest of us got JOB TRAINING in high school, or (i know, it's a crazy idea) ON THE JOB.] all substance abuse classes, [once again, if the inmate wouldn't have BROKEN THE LAW (another BAD DECISION THAT TOOK HIM AWAY FROM YOU) in the first place by ABUSING DRUGS, then we wouldn't have to PAY FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE CLASSES FOR HIM. your inmate is getting REALLY EXPENSIVE with his criminal ways.] smaller meals [oh, how you long to cook for him. why isn't he at home, eating at your table, that way the state wouldn't have to pay for ANY meals for him. imagine the COST SAVINGS.] & electricity only certain hours of the day. [i don't care if he lives by kerosene lanterns. once again, what does an inmate NEED television for? most other states do not even give access to electricity to the inmates. AT ALL, for any reason. they turn the lights on, and at certain times, they turn the lights off (if the inmates are lucky).] The hundred dollars a day you think goes to the prisoner includes the cost for the facility the guards and all other costs associated with running an institution. [and that is higher than forty other states pay. why must we be among the HIGHEST PAYING STATES? WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY MORE TO GET LESS? what are we buying for that $109.35 a day? a batch of CODDLED INMATES.] The reason the TIS passed was because the people of Michigan thought it would cut the recidivism rate but it has done the exact opposite the rate is higher now than before TIS. [you are so wrong on this one, but i won't go into that, my compatriot has already covered it. but i will ask how THIS BILL will solve the recidivism problem? how is this bill going to keep inmates from reoffending? do you think that having him back in your loving arms is going to keep him from making bad decisions in the future?] So I have news for you this bill is going to pass and the reason why is because TIS is not working and only costing the state millions of dollars that we pay for with our taxes. [obviously truth in sentencing IS working, or you wouldn't be supporting this bill. what is costing us BILLIONS OF DOLLARS is SUPPORTING YOUR CRIMINAL LOVED ONE.] So if you were not so thick headed you would realize that the only way to keep the state from going bankrupt is to pass this bill. [if I'M so thick headed, why are MY loved ones NOT IN JAIL??? YOUR loved ones ARE IN JAIL. now, tell me, who is the THICK HEADED ONE HERE?] So keep coming on this site and bashing the people that have loved ones locked up and pray that you never walk in there shoes. [i would have to make a STRING OF BAD DECISIONS in order to go to jail. i have DECIDED NOT TO MAKE THOSE BAD DECISIONS. i have lived 47 years so far without making those bad decisions, and i don't think i'm going to start now. YOUR loved one, on the other hand, can't seem to QUIT MAKING BAD DECISIONS.]

you bitched about. or you never went over the speed limit, or never ran a stop sign. you people that think you are holier-than-thou make me ill. as long as it is someone else that pays it's ok. once it happens to you it's a different story. don't say "IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME". thats exactly what those people in prison said. never say never !!!!

to me. because, while i MAY one day drive over the speed limit, which hasn't happened SO FAR in 47 years, but there COULD BE a first time, i WILL NOT do drugs. I WILL NOT steal from someone. i WILL NOT break into someone else's home. i WILL NOT murder anybody. i have decided NOT to do these stupid things, and there is NO WAY that i can be talked into doing them. i like the thousands of other people who NEVER WENT TO JAIL, i have the discipline and self control necessary to keep myself out of jail. you simply lack the discipline and self control to keep yourself from hurting yourself and those around you. you will never have it, therefore, you will always have to pay the price for not exercising control over your own stupidity.

numbnuts I am not a criminal, I am a Woman who works 54 hours a week, goes to college half time, raising two 4.0 students IN DETROIT your favorite community where it is SUCH a big status symbol to be in prison. DUMB DUMB DUMB if that was the case most teenagers would be there. Why is it that you only believe that prison inmates come from MOSTLY minority cities here in Michigan? I guess out in the lillyburbs you all don't have meth labs, husbands chopping up wives, terrorist militias, hate crimes, a whole lot of child molesters and so on.....????????? But it is just the cities where it is TRENDY? Thats why the subburban schools are getting worse and worse with drugs, rapes, assaults, bomb threats etc???????????????????????? Ignorance plain and simple, and with ignorant beliefs come ignorant offspring which helps breed the situations we have here. There's no beef huh? Thats funny cause you are on here posting faithfully against some who you don't even know why they are getting flopped, what their conduct or crime was in the first place, so what does that leave as the reason of the beef? Because they are an inmate, just what I said. For future reference I'd much rather my head be in my a**(as you said) which I know is a RESEARCHED a** on this issue than be in the HOLE with yours who speaks not only from ignorance but an obvious prejudice against the minorities that make up the majority of the cities you named.

their sentences are legally eligible to be up smart guy. Okay cut the per inmate cost, we will be revisiting this issue again every year for the next twenty years because we will have the exact same problem. Republicans and Democrats have failed on this issue miserably.

to grasp the simple truth of the matter. other states do more with less money. why can't we?

if you check into the other states that you are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worried about you will find that they do not incarcerate for many things that we do, and when they do it is for shorter periods of time, and when it is time for parole there is no hold up because of a power hungry parole board. The per inmate cost would not even be an issue up for debate if the parole system was working as it was designed to. This is precisely why the judiciary committee is working hand in hand with CAPPS to try to change it. Of course you will have money issues when you have a steady flow in and little to none coming out....its simple math. Would cutting help....possibly....but it is a band aide on a gaping wound, years of neglect and mismanagement by many, and implementation of a disciplinary system without looking into the future monetary hole it would put us in, has reaked havoc on the whole mdoc and to the state budget. Cut all you want, but you have many other issues to deal with such as overcrowding and the lack of money to build more prisons and to maintain them. Also there needs to be a universal waiting list for required classes, which is also one of the causes of costly "FLOPS", there also needs to be a reentry program in EVERY prison that is accessible to inmates coming up on release which would help to ease them back into society and give them a head start in not reoffending. There are many issues involved here not just cutting cost. Like I said cut costs if you want to but unfortunately that won't solve the problem.

and yes I'm being sarcastic. Many of these inmates are not in for anything you described first of all, do you think thats all that is in these prisons? Have you ever been an avid user drugs or an alcoholic? Some (not all before you start saying what I said) of these inmates committed crimes after years of drug and/or alcohol abuse which has been proven to lessen ones ability to reason, making it quite hard to make good choices don't you think? So until you've walked in anothers circumstance never say what you would or would not do. Now this is not to say that all inmates are angels either....obviously i know this is not the case. What some of us on here are trying to say is that many of these inmates made first time bad choice, those who realize they made a bad choice and want to reenter society, and do what is expected of them inside, deserve to be able to earn the five days off of every month with no misconducts. They don't get them regardless of their behavior they get it for their behavior. Trust me if an inmate doesn't want to change he won't follow any rule he doesn't want to inside. Those of you who haven't READ THE BILL WORD FOR WORD, those who haven't educate yourself on the issues facing the mdoc and what some RESEARCHED solutions are, those who haven't visit the CAPPS.mi.org website and read through the articles and stories, obviously they are thoroughly researched because as we speak they are working with the judiciary committee on many of these issues.

I support early release of CERTAIN prisoners. There are 2 types of people. Ones who get caught and ones who dont. EVERYONE in this world has done something wrong and the bible says For ALL have sinned. I believe the problem is when some of these inmates get out our cities are harsh on them, limiting their ability to get good jobs and financial assistance so what are they to do?? If we kick those who try to stand up then WE are MOCKING those who need our help. Just because someone is in jail does not make them a horrible person. They are people who arent murders or pervs in jail! No matter what, these people have kids,wives,parents,husbands who love them and NEED them just like your family needs you. It's time we show some love , mercy and compassion to the ones who need it just like OUR Lord does for us and I honestly can say there have been many times when I didnt deserve it but I thank God that I recieved it. I am CONVINCED that if one man can ruin a country the ONE MAN can change it for the better! Next time we want to bash anyone else look at your kids or spouse or brother or sister and ask yourself what if this was MY kid,spouse ect..in jail? Or worse think back to when you have done something wrong and could have been sent to jail and imagine if YOU were the in jail while the world turned on you! I have lived long enough to see that hatred and lack of compassion DO NOT work. It's time for a change! Think about it .... there are many people in jail serving someone eles time out of love or mercy.who knows maybe someone saved your butt as a kid a few times when you should have gotten what YOU deserved. I pray for everyone one and remember LOVE YOUR ENEMIES JUST AS GOD LOVES YOU HE is the ONLY one who can serve revenge. Take Care and God Bless!

i can't think back on ONE SINGLE TIME when i did something that would have sent me to jail. but my daughter did. the judge asked me what i reccomended that he give my daughter, a good student and a good kid. i told him that i reccomended the maximum. she got it. no parole, no good time. she hasn't done it since. she is married with one child and another on the way. all that bad decision making stopped right then and there. she became one of the FEW who did not reoffend, as opposed to one of the MANY who do. i attribute this to obtaining the maximum sentence THE FIRST TIME, and having to carry out EVERY SINGLE DAY OF IT. i don't believe that shortening that sentence would have done her any good, and now, looking back on it, neither does she. i've spent seven years in law enforcement, and quite a few years as a reserve officer, i've seen this work countless times. every time we try to be 'merciful' we get screwed. my daughter understands that her punishment for re-offending will be swift, harsh, and certain. if we grant them good time, criminals will not be so sure of that. you are right, there MAY be those who don't deserve to be in jail, but i ask, how did they get there in the first place? are the judges THAT STUPID that they give innefective punishments to those that don't deserve them? or are their HANDS TIED by a legislature that tried to FIX A PROBLEM without knowing anything about it? once again, FEEL GOOD LEGISLATION has bitten the people of michigan on the ass. you people seem to be getting rather famous for this type of behavior. i'm surprised you didn't see this coming. i'm surprised SOMEBODY didn't see this coming. so, what are you going to do about it? the law, as it stands now, would grant everybody good time, which is why most of the people are against it. why not try to RE-WRITE IT and clean some of that nonsense up?

Good it worked for your daughter, but there are many other states where people serve the max and still reoffend so your little theory is just that theory.

because with many of these inmates there is a reason to forgive. One of the best things an inmate can do is show progress in attitude and in reforming themselves. They cannot change their decision that led to incarceration all they can do is show rehabilitation and remorse which many DO. So with that "CAUSE" I guess there is no sin in forgiving them. Thank you for proving my point that you are just looking for ANY reason because of your own hatred for the inmate.

and second of all we REHABILITATE and COUNSEL to avoid becoming institutionalized, not extend sentences for those who are eligible for release and have proved by good conduct that they are ready for release. All you do when you hold someone when their parole eligibilty score makes them eligible, is pay one more day for an inmate who has been cleared for release.

have a 50% recidivism rate. this one DOES. so YOUR theory doesn't really work. at least mine does SOMETIMES. you can't change ever inmate, but you change the ones you can. releasing them early doesn't do anything but release them early. it serves no other purpose, such as REHABILITATION or REPENTANCE. if you think that it does, i'd be glad to listen to YOUR THEORIES on how that works. you can't rehabilitate them if you let them go early.

For you information I do not have a loved one locked up. I am a missionary that donates my time to many different organizations and the prisons happen to be one of them. When I said to pray that you never walk in the shoes of a family member that has a loved one locked up you referred to yourself being able to make the right decisions. I talk with family members that are the aunt, uncle, grandparents, step parent and so on. So how do you know that your life might not be effected by this someday. All I am saying is the family members of the prisoners do not deserve to be talked to and treated the way some of the people that post comments on this site treat them.

and they DO deserve whatever they get. i don't speak as an 'outsider'. i have lived the life. i have learned the lessons of the folly of thinking that my relative can be 'saved' if we coddle him. he can't. he is a three time loser who almost got his parent's home taken by the feds when they found him cutting the three kilos of cocaine at his mother's table while she was out shopping. imagine my aunt's reaction to being told that she may lose her house because her son was STUPID. he was already on parole for drugs, and he KNEW he was due for a visit from his P.O. he got violated on the spot and is now doing ten to twenty for felony drug possesion. his mother, my aunt, died while he was in jail. i personally escorted him to his mother's funeral. he got busted for trying to get drugs mailed to him in prison, and he is facing another three years for it. did he LEARN anything? NO. will releasing him do any good? NO. is he VOILENT? NO. but you want to get him released, why?

Like you said he is a three time loser that can not even follow the rules while he is in prison. If good time is brought back he would earn 5 days a month for good behavior. It sounds like he would not be effected by this because he does not have good behavior. So because he can't follow the rules and does not learn his lesson does that mean that those that can behave and follow the rules should lose the chance to earn time off for good behavior. I do agree that the time off for good behavior should only be offered to first time offenders. My way of thinking is that if they get out and do something to end up back in prison they know exactly what they are facing and what prison is all about so they should serve the full minimum sentence. However for those that are there for the first time they should be able to earn time off for good behavior and given a second chance. I do strongly support the three strikes your out bill. So in the case of your loved one I agree with you. He should not be released!!

You say we can not give them rehab if we let them out early. Well we can't give them rehab if we keep them locked up because the state has no money for those programs any longer. I would like to know what your daughters maximum was that you were so willing to see her serve. In Michigan it all depends on the county that the crime is committed in on how much time they get. All counties should have to follow the guidelines that are set for the crime. That is why we have guidelines. Certain counties will sentence the prisoner way above the minimum guideline while other counties will sentence way below the guidelines. I asked a prosecuter from Monroe county why a prisoner was given 4 years above the minimum guideine when the same crime in Wayne county received 2 years under the guideline. He told me they wanted to send the message to criminals not to commit a crime in there county. Excuse me but do we all not live in Michigan. Should we all not work together to lower crimes in the state not just in our own counties. The parole officer does alot of work looking into the criminals back ground, previous record, and anything else that will add points on when she figures out the guidelines that the prisoner should be sentenced to. If the judge just takes it upon himself to sentence that person to what he would like and does not follow the guidelines then why have them.

judges have JUDICIAL DISCRETION. that is the ability to sentence at will, not according to guidelines. the parole board also has a very similar discretion, to release or not at will, not according to guidelines. believe it or not, this allows them to help assure that justice is done in every individual case. you are looking at these cases in a very 'institutionalized' manner. as a group. you should be looking at individual cases as they come up, the way the judges and the parole board have to look at them. you cannot compare what one criminal got for a particular sentence to what another criminal got for a particular sentence, to do so is folly. each was treated like an individual, with the particulars of the individual taken into consideration. you may not think it's true, and it may not happen in every case, but in the vast majority of cases, justice is done. the proper sentence is given for the proper inmate for the proper crime. it may not make sense to you, only comparing it to 'what other inmates get for the same crime', but it makes perfect sense when you look at all the facts as the judge and the parole board see them. this state has no money for rehabilitation because it is too busy spending vast sums of money putting band-aids on gushing wounds. there are too many 'fingers in the pot', too many people deciding how to spend what little money there is. there are no legislators interested in ACTUALLY SAVING MONEY, they are all interested in being perceived as having DONE SOMETHING. just like the fact that you can't teach a 'trust fund baby' to be frugal without taking away the trust fund, you can't teach a legislature to be frugal by allowing them to set the 'per inmate per day' fee as high as they wish. the dollar figure they have chosen is not as high as it is by accident, but it has been horribly inflated by greed, corruption, and just plain stupidity. i'm sure that when you check how the money is spent, and i have, that you will find many things that can and should be cut. now, stop being 'jealous' of what people get, and start looking at whether or not ALL the circumstances were taken into consideration with every case of sentencing and parole. if they have, the system is working, if they haven't, the people are allowing their tax money to be misspent. it's as simple as that. truth in sentencing is not the bogeyman that you would have us believe that it is. and it's not the root cause of our money problems. if anything, truth in sentencing has caused us to take a serious look at the spending practices of the state, and has given us an opportunity to 'clean house' and get rid of the big spenders and SOLVE THE PROBLEM of drastically inflated costs. now, if your true agenda is to release inmates, and NOT to really save money, continue on your current path, you will perpetuate the current inflated costs, as you are ignoring them completely. however, if your true agenda is to improve the prison system, allowing inmates to actually recieve the services we pay so much for and never get, then let's not look at the 'time given', but the mis-spending habits of the administrators and legislators. just remember, it's STILL going to cost us $109.35 a day to house them when they offend again if we don't do something about the mis-spending.

was ten years in a state institution for women, in the quaint little town of st. gabriel, louisiana, at hard labor with no option for early release. in other words, TEN YEARS FLAT. my daughter got individualized sentencing, she served seven years, with supervised parole, including scheduled and random drug tests that extend till today. my daughter had to provide one of those 'drug test samples' in front of a classroom full of high school seniors during math class. they, parole drug enforcement, walked into the classroom and handed her a cup, she handed back a sample. right then and there, in full view of her 'peers'. yes, it was embarassing, but it served the purpose. she never offended again. let me tell you, before you write back about 'abuse of her rights' and all that other stuff, that at the time, the person she was supposed to have supplied drugs to was 'hanging' in a coma, if the person died, the sentence would have automatically changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole. that's REAL life, not 'JUVENILE LIFE'. she was MORE THAN WILLING to cooperate with the authorities at that point to keep from being sent back to st. gabriel for the rest of her life. she WAS allowed to finish high school on the outside, and she has since gotten two degrees. so yes, she DID get education while in jail. a jail, by the way that only charges the citizens of the state of louisiana $18.00 a day. not $109.35. just for your information, the 'informer' in this case later admitted to giving the coma victim the 'bad batch' of crystal meth that put him in the coma. now it's HIS turn to await the life sentence when the victim dies.

I think as an American, it is a horrible idea that we just give up on people we don't know the stories behind. Everyone makes mistakes, it does not excuse anyone from committing a crime, however, have some insight and empathy into what led that youth or adult to that point. I worked in a juveniled facility, you take a youth who has robbed and sold drugs, you read his history, you get to know him, you understand wow, mom had him out selling drugs to feed the family when he was 9, mom was addicted to drugs, dad was incarcerated, twin sisters were raped and murdered when he was 10, there was no food, no money and most importantly, no love, support, or resources. It is so easy for those of us with resources, love, money, to condemn. Put yourself in the place of another, not as you, conditioned to be who you are because you grew up a certain way with certain people and things, but as this child, with nothing, and no one. If we continue to incarcerated and put one big bandage on every wound, this is the result of what we will have, a cycle of reoffending because we are not offering the social support or tools to create a change. Now we get into jobs, please let me know how you are at risk to hire someone who was incarcerated for driking and driving if he is not driving at the job? I believe in the common goodness of people, but I am not so jaded or socially unaware that I close my eyes to the everyday injustices of society and one's Charles Darwin belief in the survial of the fittest! Were you born the fittest, or were you born into something that helped you get that way? If we spent more time educating parents and youth, put more money into social programs to divert these conduct disorder individuals in a different direction, giving them someone to believe in them, giving them someone to help and guide them, maybe then we will begin to create a better world for ourselves and our children. Perhaps we are not doing this to our children personally, but to sit back and not say anything, to not act when the terms of our society is allowing our own children to be neglected, abused, and brought up without much hope, we are as worthy of the blame as anyone else if not more, because children are just a product of nature and nuture, we are suppose to know better, so why don't we? Give people jobs, give people a sense of self and self worth, give knowledge and put more into education and social programs that warehouses that hold people like animals with no real chance for change; you can't lock someone up just to keep them safe from themselves and to keep society safe and then release them expecting anything but a more antisocial personality than before. I find it amazing how we are suppose to be this brilliant country and this great place of freedom and knowledge, and something such as our prison system is in such disarray and I know I could fix it but the big shots with all the money and power don't see it, or do they just not care? It is afterall, a big way to get state dollars, locking people up.... Condemn, none of us are too far removed or without sin to do such a thing, yet we do. Punishment is the time served, lets not punish anymore by loss of ones ability to care for themselves or their families.

every crime is a CHOICE. i've known personally people who have come from JUST THAT SITUATION and NEVER COMMITTED A CRIME. THEY didn't sell drugs. they CHOSE NOT TO. there are too many options open to people today instead of turning to crime. too many 'social programs' available, too many people willing to help. you blame the crime on the circumstances. if that were the case, everyone in a ghetto or a project would be criminals. while that may seem to be so, i know for a fact that it isn't. grow up and hold the criminal responsible for his crimes.

"you take a youth who has robbed and sold drugs, you read his history," Like the one that just killed all those women in Lansing? "I believe in the common goodness of people" Do you also believe evil exists? "Give people jobs" If they have saleable skills and want one they can find one. "give people a sense of self and self worth" You can't give this, you have to earn it, do something well and self esteem will come. "put more money into social programs" We already spend more on your social programs than anything else. How much of my money will be enough for you?? "driking and driving" Shouldn't be a jailable offense unless you harm someone or their property. "put more into education" Again, how much is enough for you. We keep pouring money down that black hole. You can't teach someone who doesn't want to learn. "none of us are too far removed or without sin" True but commiting a robbery is a choice. It means that you would rather take someones money than get a job and earn your own. Most folks have a moral compass that stops them from deciding to steal from other folks.

I believe good time or good behavior should come back Iknow that would help the state of mi.

felons out of jail early help the state? and before you say 'it would cost less', think about how much less it would have cost us if the felon decided not to violate the law.

Not a SINGLE POST in this 70+ long thread has a-one of you folks discussing the topic at hand....the purpose of Cushinberry's Bill. For those who claim to support it, it is NOT primarily a bill to reduce sentences....that is not it's intent, per se. All it does is take us back a mere decade re: sentencing in this state (MI). If you ahve a loved one in the system, I hate to break this to you but they do not MATTER one iota in the argument that needs to be presented on this issue. You need it to pass cuz it makes sense, not cuz you can see your prescious angel of a sonny-boy a few months/years earlier. For those claiming to be AGAINST the Bill, it is NOT a bill to reduce sentences, but rather a fiscal initiative. There have been plenty of Republicans AND Democrats in office, you F***heads who try to make this a POLITICAL issue (which it could not be farther from) who have kept TIS alive and well since 2003, when FEDERAL FUNDS ENDED to support it. THAT, my friends, is the lone issue--a FISCAL one. Cushingberry is only trying to get legislators to respond to the same question that virtually every other state in the union has addressed as he suggests, which is to eliminate TIS for FISCAL purposes. Quick history: Truth In Sentencing was a FEDERALLY-FUNDED program in the 90's that gave any state funding (purportedly used to build more prisons), in teh MILLIONS of dollars each year. In 2003 the well ran dry--that is, the Feds decided 'nope, we are done funding that program, so do what you will re: TIS'. What did this mean? It meant that the STATE was now left to foot the bill to maintain prisoners for the ENTIRE length of the mandatory minimum, whereas before they had 'good time', so one would serve approximately 85% of their sentence. Most--that is, virtually ALL states--responded by going back in time, rather than footing this new budget disaster. After all, it only made sense. They realized two things: 1) The streets weren't torn to shreds by rampant criminals running amok wiht a 15% reduction in sentences as in the early 90's (a truly STUPID argument by those against this bill), and 2) we aren't talking small potatoes...the feds were giving Michigan about $18 MILLION/year for the program! Now it seems THAT was supposed to land in the taxpayers' laps? Well, Republicans and Democrats alike to date have said YES! Amazing....in this week's momentary state shutdown due to fiscal difficulties, we do things like raise income taxes, etc., but have not taken the simple step that Cushingberry's initiative solves. For those against this Bill I ask the simple question: If your boss said you could take turns buying donuts for work, and provided you the money, surely you'd participate. Then one day the boss says 'we aren't paying for donuts'....are you and your co-workers taking money out of YOUR pocket to continue something you didn't create to begin with? It's absurd--but I expect nothing less in cyberspace, so go ahead, say YES and explain yourself. This Bill should get support and pass NOT because of it's effect on inmates, but its effect on us NON-inmates that matters. You would have thought this obvious, but no one seems to understand the issue, so now I've laid it out for you. PB

you have struck on two points, the first one you got right, it's not about loved ones in prison. the second one you got wrong. it IS about shortening sentences. the REAL solution is lowering the amazingly high PER INMATE PER DAY FEE that the state charges itself. this could be done without sacrificing ANY inmate services or any security, as other states are presently doing MORE with less per day. if you REALLY wish to SAVE MONEY, then LOWER THE PER INMATE PER DAY FEE. it is currently over one hundred dollars per inmate per day, some states charge as little as eighteen. THAT'S the opposition we have to this bill. it allows the HUGE AMOUNT OF CORRUPTION TO CONTINUE, and it SETS INMATES FREE EARLY. that's two strikes against it right there. lowering the per inmate per day fee is the only REAL SOLUTION to the problem of high prison costs.

I hate to say it, but not all people in prison are horrible people. And early release on some of these people WOULD NOT harm citizens. People are naive to this fact. Everyone in prison has their own story. And unless and until you have someone you love in the prison system, you will not know how truly horrible it is for the people that are left behind. Again my point is, early release of some prisoners would definitely help the economy and the budget issues this state faces, and furthermore, not harm the citizens. Everyone thinks, oh, they are in prison, they are scum, who cares about them. That is not always the case.

It is sad but true that some people will not learn from his or her mistakes but does that mean that every individual in prison should be treated the same exact way. The counselors and correction officers spend everyday with the inmates. They can see if a person is really remorseful, if they take the time to look. I believe that some prisoners should get time off for good behavior. I feel that the non-violent offenders should be out supporting themselves and his or her family! I do not believe the rest of society should be paying for them. The truth is that no two people are alike. One person may only need a slap on the wrist and another may need time in prison to see that their behavior needs to change. I hope the bill passes and I hope the men and women released get the help they need to get back on their feet. It is a difficult time to find a job for a college graduate, like myself, I can only imagine what it is like for men and women with a criminal past!

Does any one know exactly where this bill is in the house?

This bill is sitting in the House Judiciary Committee.

One way the state could save money and let certain prisioners out is to put a tether on them, which they would have to pay for. This would let them to at least get a job, part time or full time, there could be group meetings that is required like the AAA has. As to deciding who gets early release it can't be black or white there is a grey area, such as their behavior since their arrest and incarceration, they should at least serve 3 years of the applied sentence, other incarcerations should be looked at and I'm sure there are other things I haven't thought of. I agree not all of them are dangerous to society. We really need to give some of them a chance, one only, there are no second chances.

Thank God for a man like Cushionberry that is using the brain God gave him to try to see this through. Wishing you well brother to set these persons free especially if they are not a harm to our fellow man. Maybe they were put there by a very bitter person and had to prove a point, but in the long run it is not fair to the tax payers. The public should have n o fear of persons as such.

Thank God for a man like Cushionberry that is using the brain God gave him to try to see this through. Wishing you well brother to set these persons free especially if they are not a harm to our fellow man. Maybe they were put there by a very bitter person and had to prove a point, but in the long run it is not fair to the tax payers. The public should have n o fear of persons as such.

they should also get rid of parole board they keep flopping when there mim is up if they go with no point then should be releast this would cut money with no parole board.

Conclusion [by sandie_221 on January 27, 2008] Overall, due to labor intensiveness, incarceration is an expensive program. Differences in employee costs are likely to be the primary reason that Michigan's incarceration costs differ from those of other states. Whether this means they have a different number of employees due to different proportions of lower-security inmates, inmate-to-employee ratios, or facility layouts, or various employee costs due to different regional, contractual, or statutory requirements, it is difficult to provide a simple explanation of overall discrepancies. ***The most effective way to reduce incarceration costs significantly is to have fewer prisoners.*** This would reduce the number of employees, which would lower the base from which employee costs grow. Additionally, fuel, utility, food, and medical costs would be reduced. If the number of employees or the amount of employee salaries or fringe benefits were reduced, employee cost growth would start from a lower base, but there would be no reduction in other incarceration costs. Conversely, if only nonemployee-related incarceration costs were reduced, the reductions would address only what is already less than a quarter of the prison budget. For example, a 10% cut to nonemployee-related incarceration costs would result in less than a 2.5% cut to incarceration costs. Incarcerating fewer prisoners can be achieved by policies that reduce crime, reduce prison sentences, reduce sentence lengths, and/or increase the parole rate. In the long 19 run, however, only policies that have the effect of reducing crime will reduce the budget of the MDOC and other governmental criminal justice agencies, and have a positive financial impact on the State as a whole. http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Issues/IncarcerationCosts/IncarcerationCosts.pdf

sounds like your just a bad judge of character all the way around, whether it be good or bad.

Wow, you didn't say anthing about how you judge people? Maybe God would like to say something about that, because a sin is a sin, and you commit many just in your words alone. I agree with the person below this - I am laughing and clapping. People like you are the reason why I go to church. God help us.

Why are you such a troll. I bet you would never post your address on here for fear of somebody putting their foot up your bum. I am sure this is not the only site where you pass out your miserable nature onto others. Please people don't feed into this monster. Just support the bill and write your legislator.

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