Michigan
Overview
Policymakers in Michigan have asked the Council of State Governments Justice Center to provide them with intensive technical assistance through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. A bipartisan, bicameral, and inter-branch group of policymakers is working with the Justice Center on developing analyses of the prison population, designing strategies to reduce recidivism and victimization, and generating policy options to reduce spending on corrections. Specifically, the Governor has designated her Budget Director, Corrections Director, and Policy Director, and the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House have designated various legislative leaders to participate in the working group. The Justice Center is also consulting with key local government officials and community-based organizations to inform the policy options that will be considered by the working group.
The working group is guided by the following set of key principles:
- Public safety is of paramount concern
- The approach must be bipartisan and inter-branch
- The process must be data-driven
- The group must engage in candid discussions and have access to data systems
- There must be a constructive tone and constructive use of information generated
- The process must engage external stakeholders