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MI-CURE News (May 2012)
MI-CURE NEWS (May 2012) covering the effectiveness of the MDOC’s prisoner reentry program; the end of sexually abusive searches at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility following ACLU intervention; the introduction of Tasers in five state prisons as a pilot program to prevent inmate violence; a new sales tax on prison commissary purchases; updates on cost-cutting initiatives within the MDOC; ongoing challenges with access to programming; and the push for privatization of prisons.
MI-CURE News (February 2012)
MI-CURE NEWS (February 2012) covering the establishment of Michigan’s Indigent Defense Advisory Commission; a report on the use of GPS tracking for released offenders; the overturning of a parole denial and a Circuit Court decision for resentencing a juvenile offender under recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings; a discussion on the challenges of incarcerating individuals with mental illnesses; and support for compassionate release and better management of chronic pain for incarcerated individuals.
MI-CURE News (August 2012)
MI-CURE NEWS (August 2012) covering MDOC conditions, future challenges, and opportunities; an update on the prison phone system; a report on Michigan's Indigent Defense Advisory Commission findings and recommendations for improving defense counsel services; the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on mandatory life without parole for juveniles; updates on prison rape elimination efforts; and a call for action on ensuring proper accounting of SEF expenditures and the end of collections.
MI-CURE News (November 2011)
MI-CURE NEWS (November 2011) covering discussions on prosecution, defense, sentencing, and racial bias in the criminal justice system; substance abuse treatment, quality of defense work, racial profiling, and the need for reform in indigent defense; the closure of Mound Correctional Facility; privatization of healthcare services; and changes to prison food services.
MI-CURE News (May 2011)
MI-CURE NEWS (May 2011) covering Executive Order 2011-3 abolisheing 15-member parole board; facilitity closure due to prison population decline; MDOC negotiating new phone service contract with Public Communication Services (PCS); Michigan’s sex offender registry to be reformed, including removal of “Romeo and Juliet” offenders; food service privatization under consideration; MDOC’s Prisoner Reentry Initiative criticized for poor contract monitoring; AFSC seeking feedback on Michigan’s grievance process; recent mergers in correctional healthcare companies; proposal for computers in prison cells to aid rehabilitation; and criticisms of privatization, especially in food services and healthcare.
MI-CURE News (February 2011)
MI-CURE NEWS (February 2011) covering the director change in MDOC; reforms in Michigan's incarceration practices; proposals for re-entry programs; discussions about criminal justice reform including recidivism rates, prison population trends, and the Right on Crime campaign; updates on recent legislative changes, including bills on parole procedures, prisoner medical records, and vocational training programs; human rights critiques in correctional facilities; prosecutorial misconduct; continuing education for prisoners post-release; and addressing sexual abuse in jails.
MI-CURE News (August 2011)
MI-CURE NEWS (August 2011) covering wrongful convictions, the impact of disproportionate sentencing, and the potential benefits of therapeutic justice; updates on changes to Michigan's prison phone system; a report on over-classification in Michigan’s Department of Corrections; a contrast with Maine's prison reforms, which reduced segregation and promoted better rehabilitation; concerns over privatization in Michigan’s prison food and housing services; and advocacy efforts for national criminal justice reform.
MI-CURE News (November 2010)
MI-CURE NEWS (November 2010) covering the commutation and parole processes, including criteria, decision-making, and the challenges of balancing fairness with public safety; updates on parole policies for lifers, non-lifers, and individuals with mental health issues; a report on the rising issue of "debtor prisons" in Michigan; recent legislative changes, including the removal of felony questions from Detroit job applications and discussions on restoring voting rights for incarcerated individuals in the UK; and ongoing efforts to train staff for the Violence Prevention Program in Michigan.
MI-CURE News (May 2010)
MI-CURE NEWS (May 2010) covering MDOC's ongoing efforts to reduce its incarcerated population and the controversy surrounding the commutation of sentences; the debate over the restoration of good time credits and the related political pushback; gaps in healthcare and recommendations for improvement; ongoing discussions about the representation of incarcerated individuals in the census and its impact on legislative districts; a lawsuit regarding inadequate medical care in county jails; and the challenges faced by deaf prisoners.
MI-CURE News (February 2010)
MI-CURE NEWS (February 2010) covering a decrease in Michigan’s prison population and higher parole approval rates; the Duncan v. State of Michigan lawsuit challenging the public defense system; media concerns over low public defense funding; legislative proposals for a statewide defense system; the national decline in death sentences; voting rights for incarcerated individuals; the effects of solitary confinement; problem-solving courts for addiction; and the harmful impacts of incarceration.
MI-CURE News (August 2010)
MI-CURE NEWS (August 2010) covering discussions on Michigan's public defense system, including the ongoing litigation in Duncan v. State of Michigan concerning ineffective counsel; the Houle v. Sampson lawsuit, which addresses restrictive parole conditions; upcoming legislative and judicial actions aimed at improving public defense and parole processes; and advocacy updates, including a push for a fairer re-entry process and better treatment for incarcerated individuals.
MI-CURE News (November 2009)
MI-CURE NEWS (November 2009) covering MDOC health care services including the shortage of psychiatrists; updates on mental health treatment gaps and substance abuse programs; the "Mind the Gap" campaign to improve communication between service providers; challenges in managing chronic care medications and overcrowding in prisons; and the release of a CAPPS report highlighting the inefficiencies in parole denials and recidivism rates, alongside other states’ reforms to reduce prison populations.
MI-CURE News (May 2009)
MI-CURE NEWS (May 2009) covering updates on Michigan's prison telephone system; the use of the Vermont Assessment of Sex Offender Risk (VASOR) for more objective parole decisions; proposal to release prisoners with deportation orders early; the MDOC's new Residential Re-Entry Program for high-risk parolees; updates on sentencing and parole policies, including the debate over funding mental health courts; facility conversions and employee layoffs; and new criminal justice reforms in other states.
MI-CURE News (February 2009)
MI-CURE NEWS (February 2009) covering the opening of the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman Office; ongoing calls for corrections budget cuts; Governor Granholm’s commutation power and proposals for reducing prison populations; CAPPS recommendations for sentencing reform and improved parole policies; MDOC health care provider change; MI-CURE’s focus on improving health care services and oversight; and challenges related to overcrowding and prison reform.
MI-CURE News (August 2009)
MI-CURE NEWS (August 2009) covering meeting with MDOC Health Services Administrator, and discussions on the Assaultive Offender Programming (AOP) initiative; the settlement of a class-action lawsuit by over 500 female prisoners regarding sexual assault by prison guards; the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission’s proposal to end sexual abuse in correctional facilities; Michigan’s prison closures and the impact of overcrowding; Washtenaw County’s successful "Housing First" pilot program; problems in Michigan’s public defense system; the issue of prosecutorial accountability; and challenges caused by the closure of the Detroit Police Crime Lab.
MI-CURE News (November 2008)
MI-CURE News (November 2008) covering the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI; other discussions include efforts to reduce recidivism through fairer employment opportunities for people with felony convictions; the creation of sex offender residency maps; significant developments such as the reduction in Michigan’s prison population, the closure of the Detroit crime lab, funding challenges faced by Prison Legal Services, and public policy debates around prison costs and sentencing reform.
MI-CURE News (May 2008)
MI-CURE News (May 2008) covering a report on the U.S. incarceration rate, emphasizing the disproportionate number of black and young individuals in prison and discussing state efforts to reduce corrections costs through sentencing reforms, parole policies, and diversion programs; recommendations from the JFA Institute for reducing prison populations, such as eliminating prison for technical parole violations and reducing time served; and updates on Michigan’s parole system, including a federal court ruling on parole practices for lifers and ongoing efforts to address healthcare in Michigan’s prisons.
MI-CURE News (February 2008)
MI-CURE News (February 2008) covering a discussion of common myths about incarceration and their realities; and efforts to improve health care for incarcerated individuals; the Michigan Partners in Crisis campaign advocating for better mental health treatment for incarcerated individuals.
MI-CURE News (August 2008)
MI-CURE News (August 2008) covering updates on parole reform; highlights from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s report on the growth of the prison system, examining increased recidivism rates, longer prison stays, and the role of the Parole Board; an evaluation of Michigan's indigent defense system which finds constitutional inadequacies; the launch of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions; discussions on corrections budget and potential solutions to reduce prison costs; Governor Granholm’s new Prisoner Re-Entry Council; and initiatives to improve employment opportunities for former prisoners.
MI-CURE News (November 2007)
MI-CURE News (November 2007) covering recent victories in criminal justice reform, including Michigan’s successful move to eliminate telephone surcharges on prisoner calls; developments in rehabilitation and re-entry strategies including Medicaid restoration and laws protecting ex-offenders from employment discrimination; updates on efforts to reduce recidivism, such as Florida’s initiatives in substance abuse treatment and job training, and Oklahoma’s Transformational Justice Act aimed at improving re-entry programs; and legislative and court updates, including Michigan’s ruling on the rights of lifers and the classification of alcohol-related offenses.
MI-CURE News (May 2007)
MI-CURE News (May 2007) covering a range of criminal justice topics with a focus on policies in Michigan and nationwide, categorized as “good,” “bad,” and “ugly”; highlights include reduced phone rates in prisons, the potential release of minor, nonviolent offenders, and a new re-entry lawaimed at improving post-incarceration outcomes; also covered are concerning issues like the exploitation of prison labor in Colorado, Michigan's inadequate prison health care system, and the financial hurdles facing former prisoners; the issue also touches on ongoing legislation affecting parole, prison phone systems, and juvenile sentencing.
MI-CURE News (February 2007)
MI-CURE News (February 2007) covering the impact of overcrowding on safety, health, and productivity; proposals to reduce the prison population through parole, the release of elderly prisoners, and increased use of therapeutic justice programming; and ongoing issues with medical and mental health care in Michigan prisons.
MI-CURE News (August 2007)
MI-CURE News (August 2007) covering the criminalization of youthful behavior, including Michigan's involvement in the national “school-to-prison” phenomenon; the challenges posed by sex offender residency restrictions and GPS tracking systems; updates on Michigan’s prison health care system, with developments in the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility; overview of proposed sentencing and parole reforms; and a call for reform of parole policies to focus on behavior-based release.
MI-CURE News (November 2006)
MI-CURE News (November 2006) covering inadequate health care in Michigan’s prisons; reports on individual cases of neglect leading to deaths, including cancer misdiagnoses and untreated mental health conditions; discussion on the failures of the medical commutation system and challenges in securing medical parole; recommendations from the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons for prison health care improvements; and announcement of a public hearing on prison health.
MI-CURE News (May 2006)
MI-CURE News (May 2006) covering concerns over inefficiencies and lack of compassion within the prison system; updates on Michigan's parole violator policy and proposed legislative changes; reporting on changes in the Parole Board’s policy to accept letters; developments in Michigan legislation on good time credits, wrongful incarceration compensation, and the Second Chance Act; and discussions on the impact of residency restrictions for sex offenders and the accessibility of criminal records.