Archive-Mass Incarceration in Michigan

Items

• MI-CURE News (August 2019)
  MI-CURE News (August 2019) covering advocacy for ending life and excessive sentences; Michigan’s new licensing initiative for returning citizens; trauma-informed court practices and the movement to end prison gerrymandering; critical reassessments of life without parole, video hearings, and the decline of jury trials; updates on Does v. Snyder, diversion programs, and compassionate release legislation; innovative hiring models removing barriers for people with records; and wide-ranging reforms across the U.S. on charging practices, misdemeanor ethics, sentencing for abuse survivors, and more—advancing justice that is equitable, humane, and evidence-based.
• MI-CURE News (November 2018)
  MI-CURE News (November 2018) covering homelessness among the formerly incarcerated and housing access reforms; the overlooked value of lifers and aging prisoners in rehabilitation; reductions in prison phone call costs; the decline of prison farming programs; a national push to reimagine prison with dignity-centered practices; ongoing issues access to legal resources; wrongful convictions and the limits of constitutional protections; persistent racial disparities in the justice system; and statewide updates on parole reform, occupational licensing, juvenile justice, and court-watching efforts.
• MI-CURE News (May 2018)
  MI-CURE News (May 2018) covering Michigan’s progress on indigent defense reform; national efforts to restore voting rights and expand prison education; scrutiny of prosecutors and conviction integrity units; underused compassionate release for elderly and ill prisoners; links between healthcare and incarceration; prison system failures in addressing the opioid crisis; key court rulings for juvenile lifers and prisoner rights; and local and national pushes for more humane, evidence-based justice policies.
• MI-CURE News (February 2018)
  MI-CURE News (February 2018) covering an investigation into Taser misuse and deaths in custody; calls to downsize and reform probation and parole systems; efforts to ensure the right to legal counsel at arraignment in Michigan; racial disparities in plea bargaining and national defense system strains; expanding access to expungement and second chances for formerly incarcerated individuals; the role of neuroscience in corrections policy and treatment programming; urgent concerns over delayed mental health evaluations and treatment; and forward-thinking reforms in prison education, community investment, compassionate release, and juvenile justice.
• MI-CURE News (August 2018)
  MI-CURE News (August 2018) covering the Does v. Snyder II class action challenging Michigan’s sex offender registry; guidance for registrants on legal compliance and advocacy; updates on higher education access in Michigan prisons and the positive impact of arts programs; innovations in reentry support, including VR training and pretrial representation; national criminal justice reform efforts like ending user fees, second-look sentencing, and new probation models; and local, faith-based alternatives to policing—all promoting fairer, evidence-based justice systems.
• MI-CURE News (November 2017)
  MI-CURE News (November 2017) covering calls for second chances for lifers and long-sentenced prisoners; guidance on preparing commutation applications and reentry challenges; discussion questions for candidates on criminal justice issues; court rulings reshaping sex offense laws and registries; proposals to reduce recidivism through licensing reform, scaled-back supervision, and financial support for returning citizens; Medicaid expansion's link to crime reduction; highlights of effective DUI and reentry programs; updates on MDOC's gender dysphoria policy; and the introduction of the federal Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act.
• MI-CURE News (May 2017)
  MI-CURE News (May 2017) covering FCC withdrawal from prison phone rate caps; calls for prosecutorial oversight and concerns over declining jury trials; solitary confinement reforms driven by staff and DOJ mandates; critiques of prison food, healthcare copays, and loss of in-person visits; arguments for restoring prisoner voting rights; proposals to reduce recidivism through healthcare-inspired reforms; mental health diversion strategies; indigent defense innovations including client choice and social worker integration; and expanded prison education and rehabilitation programs.
• MI-CURE News (February 2017)
  MI-CURE News (February 2017) covering survey findings on improving Michigan’s prison grievance systemy; legislative reforms expanding compensation for wrongful convictions and limiting judge interference with parole decisions; critiques of electronic monitoring as a carceral extension; concerns over user fees and their burden on poor defendants; research linking traumatic brain injury to incarceration risk; ACLU’s report on the harm of solitary confinement for people with physical disabilities; updates on job-readiness programs for returning citizens; and new developments in electronic court filing access and voting rights for incarcerated individuals.
• MI-CURE News (August 2017)
  MI-CURE News (August 2017) covering the need for expanded use of commutations; legal updates on Does v. Snyder and sex offender registry reform; federal court decision weakening FCC regulation of prison phone rates; national efforts to overhaul cash bail systems; backlash against DOJ’s dismantling of forensic science standards; new support models for reentry, including housing-first and employment training programs; critique of exploitative prison wages; and Supreme Court ruling on social media access for registrants.
• MI-CURE News (November 2016)
  MI-CURE News (November 2016) covering legislative updates on parole, commutations, and juvenile justice reform; expansion of parole readiness and elderly-focused programs; concerns over limited prison programming and discriminatory SORA policies; federal rulings on sex offender registry and private prisons; Hepatitis C treatment access in MDOC; prison phone rate litigation; and a new entrepreneurship pilot for returning citizens in Detroit.
• MI-CURE News (May 2016)
  MI-CURE News (May 2016) covering examples of humane corrections practices in Idaho and German prisons; MDOC’s launch of Vocational Village for job-readiness training; concerns over unfit correctional staff and systemic oversight failures in New Yor; court-ordered reforms to end debtor’s prison practices in Michigan; launch of MDOC hospice and palliative care pilot program; push for post-conviction innocence evidence disclosure; and federal ruling against prison gerrymandering.
• MI-CURE News (February 2016)
  MI-CURE News (February 2016) covering survey responses from incarcerated individuals on probation and parole violations; updates on the Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration’s policy goals and coalition-building; FCC progress on reducing prison phone call rates; SCOTUS Montgomery v. Louisiana decision applying juvenile LWOP ban retroactively; clemency trends and critique of Michigan’s limited use; legal victory striking down broad employment bans for people with records; national efforts challenging cash bail systems and fines; and legislative momentum in Michigan to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction and protect youth in custody.
• MI-CURE News (August 2016)
  MI-CURE News (August 2016) covering expanded Pell Grant access at Michigan prisons; critical analysis of residency restrictions for sex offenders; updates on Taser misuse; DOJ lawsuit against MDOC over discriminatory staffing at women’s facilities; promotion of holistic defense models and licensing reform; Obama Administration’s Fair Chance hiring and education initiatives; critiques of felony-murder laws; and advocacy for safe housing for transgender prisoners.
• MI-CURE News (November 2015)
  MI-CURE News (November 2015) covering MDOC officials’ report on programming improvements and parole readiness; efforts to expand GED completion, vocational training, and reentry employment partnerships; use of lifers as mentors; a statewide survey of incarcerated individuals on programming value, access barriers, and solutions; progress on tablet rollout and Pell Grant pilot application; FCC’s decision to cap prison phone call rates; court rulings on parole eligibility and prison conditions; and advocacy for expanded rehabilitative opportunities and fair parole practices.
• MI-CURE News (May 2015)
  MI-CURE News (May 2015) covering deeper analysis of Michigan’s sentencing policies; critiques of over-criminalization and calls for intent standards in criminal law; support for raising the juvenile court age to 18 and addressing racial disparities in sentencing; discussion on establishing a living wage for incarcerated individuals; forensic evidence reliability issues and FBI testimony flaws; updates on prison phone rate reforms, litigation on behalf of deaf prisoners, and Wayne County’s rape kit backlog; new restrictions for those labeled as gang-affiliated; and critique of MDOC’s punitive practices vs. evidence-based rehabilitation.
• MI-CURE News (February 2015)
  MI-CURE News (February 2015) covering proposals for reducing prison admissions, sentence lengths, and recidivism; critiques of Michigan’s sentencing guidelines, parole system, and lack of access to education and rehabilitation programs; support for presumptive parole, reinstatement of good time, and juvenile life sentence reform; calls to expand problem-solving courts and wrongful conviction safeguards; updates on medical release, commutation practices, and barriers to reentry; legislative changes on expungement, Medicaid, and criminal justice oversight; developments in FCC regulation of prison phone rates; and national initiatives on mental health, prison education audits, and criminal case mediation alternatives.
• MI-CURE News (August 2015)
  MI-CURE News (August 2015) covering MDOC programming and reentry; member surveys on employment, idle time, and access to educational/vocational programs; findings on the impact of prison education on recidivism and employment; suggestions for sentencing reform, habitual offender laws, and fair parole practices; analysis of prison wages and proposals for a livable income or reduced commissary costs; updates on litigation concerning inadequate dental care in prison; and legislative efforts to restore Pell Grants and implement presumptive parole.
• MI-CURE News (November 2014)
  MI-CURE News (November 2014) covering MDOC officials discussing parole, reentry, and mental health care; updates on programming backlogs and vocational training initiatives; concerns about prison overcrowding and violence; the FCC’s efforts to regulate intrastate prison phone rates; developments in parole board procedures for lifers; a clarification on litigation regarding MDOC dental care; and advocacy efforts for policy changes to improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.
• MI-CURE News (May 2014)
  MI-CURE News (May 2014) covering updates on the FCC ruling on prison phone rates; concerns over MDOC overcrowding, staffing issues, and rehabilitation program access; programming backlog statistics for VPP, SOP, and T4C; challenges in prison education and vocational training; developments in food service privatization with Aramark; national efforts to reform solitary confinement policies; a partnership between MSU and MDOC on prison healthcare models; Medicaid expansion for parolees; discussions on clemency reform at state and federal levels; and advocacy suggestions for legislative and MDOC policy changes.
• MI-CURE News (February 2014)
  MI-CURE News (February 2014) covering updates on the FCC ruling on prison phone rates; concerns over MDOC’s spending priorities and lack of rehabilitative programming; the backlog in Violence Prevention and Sex Offender Programming; developments in Michigan’s juvenile life without parole cases; updates on litigation related to indigent defense, lifetime electronic monitoring, and religious accommodations in prison; and new legislation expanding mental health courts.
• MI-CURE News (August 2014)
  MI-CURE News (August 2014) covering collateral consequences of criminal records and NACDL recommendations; critiques of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative; updates on a lawsuit over MDOC dental care; details on an advocacy event for sentencing reform; Michigan’s problem-solving courts and recidivism statistics; policy changes regarding birth certificates and law library access; and news on efforts to expand Medicaid enrollment for parolees.
• MI-CURE News (November 2013)
  MI-CURE NEWS (November 2013) covering FCC ruling update on phone rates; continued concerns about Taser use in prisons; backlog in VPP, SOP, and T4C programs; food service privatization; Michigan’s failure to privatize prison operation; lawsuit over juvenile abuse in MDOC; mental health courts evaluation showing reduced recidivism; and MCO class-action lawsuit over unpaid overtime
• MI-CURE News (February 2013)
  MI-CURE NEWS (February 2013) covering MDOC’s prison phone system and SEF concerns; visitation's positive impact on recidivism; Kay Perry’s legislative address on phone rates, healthcare, overcrowding, and wages; MDOC’s backlog in therapy programs; concerns over 12-hour shifts at Newberry; and updates on forensic evidence review and sex offender registry removal petitions
• MI-CURE News (August 2013)
  MI-CURE NEWS (August 2013) covering MI-CURE's 21st Annual Meeting focusing on supporting incarcerated individuals; FCC's new order reducing interstate jail and prison phone rates; indigent defense bills; updates on the transition to Violence Prevention Programming (VPP) and Sex Offender Programming; concerns over use of Tasers; high costs of incarceration and inadequate wages for prisoners; and sanitary supply issues at Huron Valley.
• MI-CURE News (November 2012)
  MI-CURE NEWS (November 2012) covering MI-CURE’s annual meeting including prisoner classification; overcrowding; misconduct investigations; use of tasers; healthcare, mental health; programming; long-term administrative segregation; rising prison costs; medical and mental health care litigation; parole violations, and juvenile life sentences.