Changes may be on the way for Michigan’s justice system with recent legislation passed by the Michigan Senate and House and the establishment of a new bipartisan task force aimed at improving our state’s jail and pretrial system.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer shared that the Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration will provide a “bipartisan review of the state’s jail and court data to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions and length of stay, and improve the effectiveness of the front end of Michigan’s justice system.”

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel are two of the members of the developing task force. Both Gilchrist and Nessel participated at the Michigan Roundtable on Safety and Justice, which was co-hosted by the Hudson-Webber Foundation and several partners.

As CMF reported, Hudson-Webber recently shared two reports that emerged from the Roundtable, providing a comprehensive look at some of the issues youth and adults are facing within our justice system as well as recommendations for justice reform in Michigan.

The new task force’s focus which includes the need for interventions to expand alternatives to jail and improving the pretrial process align with the discussions at the Roundtable event.

“The Hudson-Webber Foundation applauds Governor Whitmer’s executive order establishing the Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration,” Melanca Clark, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation said. “We believe a comprehensive examination of jails, the front-door to the justice system, will allow the state to chart new approaches to protect public safety while addressing fairness, efficiency and community well-being.”

Another topic mentioned in the Michigan Safety Justice Roundtable youth report is the fact that Michigan is one of only four remaining states that automatically classifies 17-year-olds as adults in the justice system.

As of last week, both the Michigan Senate and House passed legislation which seeks to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to 18 years old.

Raising the age was one of several policy recommendations in the Michigan League for Public Policy’s (MLPP) Owner’s Manual for Michigan. MLPP was also one of the foundation’s partners in the Michigan Safety Justice Roundtable.

According to MLPP, “Youth prosecuted as adults are 34 percent more likely to reoffend than youth in the juvenile justice system.”

The bill may soon head to the governor.

Meanwhile, at the state level, several CMF members, the Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL) and CMF met with the director at the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) last week. The MDOC shared priorities from the department’s recently completed strategic plan and learned about intersecting work from Michigan funders.

Want more?

Check out the reports from the Hudson-Webber Foundation.