LANSING, Mich.- May 7, 2024 — Alliance for Safety and Justice today announced their support for The Safer Michigan Act, a package of bills recently introduced by a bipartisan group of state senators (SB 861-864), to incentivize evidence-based education and rehabilitation programs that would disrupt rather than perpetuate cycles of crime.
The Safer Michigan Act is sponsored by Senators Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), Erika Geiss (D-Detroit), Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville) and Ed McBroom (R-Upper Peninsula). It supports vocational education to help prisoners get well-paying jobs in areas that support our public infrastructure like plumbing, electrical, and masonry. Similar programs have known to help returning prisoners positively contribute to the economy, including a 6.9% increase in the likelihood of employment.
The Safer Michigan Act is Supported by Crime Victims
Rehabilitation programs for prisoners are broadly supported by victims of crime across the state. Eight in 10 crime victims in Michigan support reducing prison sentences for people in prison who participate in rehabilitation, mental health, substance abuse, or educational or vocational programs and three out of four believe rehabilitation, drug and mental health treatment are more effective at preventing future crimes. The full report can be viewed here.
“Redemption, rehabilitation and safety are at the heart of SB 861-864, which was drafted with survivors like me in mind,” said Lansing resident Priscilla Bordayo, Michigan state manager for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and a sexual assault survivor. “This bill package will ensure victims have transparency every step of the way – from being notified about whether defendants are eligible, and the terms of their sentences, to whether they complete rehabilitation programs or not.”
“Michigan has the opportunity to join many other states in creating safer communities through incentivizing rehabilitative programming by passing SB 861-864,” said gun violence survivor and former Detroit resident Aswad Thomas, vice president, Alliance for Safety and Justice and managing director, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “Those who are eligible will have served their time, be held accountable, and less likely to reoffend when they return to their communities – which makes us all safer.”
“As a crime survivor, knowing that people in prison are spending their time wisely and preparing for a future where they contribute to their communities when they return makes me feel safer.” Elle Travis, CSSJ Detroit Chapter Coordinator
The Safer Michigan Act Is a Proven Public Safety Solution
Michigan would not be the first state to adopt this approach. At least 35 other U.S. states (70% of the country) provide similar opportunities for people in prison to earn credits, including Texas, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, among others. These programs have reduced recidivism by 14.8% on average.
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE
The Alliance for Safety and Justice is a national organization that aims to win new safety priorities in states across the country. It partners with leaders to advance state reform through networking, coalition building, research, education, and advocacy. It also brings together diverse crime survivors to advance policies that help communities most harmed by crime and violence as part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice – its national network of over 180,000 crime survivors, with 7,000 members in Michigan. For more information, visit https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org.
