“How do we determine so-called “non-violent” offenders and are we prepared for those who
re-commit?” asks Tom Tylutki, President of the Michigan Corrections Organization, the union that represents Michigan’s state correctional officers.
The administration, with the support of many legislators, has proposed to reduce the inmate population by nearly 5,500 “low-risk, non-violent” offenders. Granholm proposes to initially release inmates who are elderly and infirm. While this may make sense on the surface, she should keep in mind that statistics show many in this category could still be dangerous. Even if we did allow inmates in these categories to be released, it only equates to approximately 500 prisoners. The remaining 5,000 must come from those the Department has classified as so-called “non-violent or low-risk.”
“This is where it gets tricky,” states Mr. Tylutki. “How do we determine who is presently - and most importantly likely to remain - non-violent?” George McMonigal, an October 2006 parolee who had served a little over 5 years for breaking and entering is now charged with first and second-degree criminal sexual misconduct for allegedly raping a friend’s 5-year-old girl while he was babysitting.
James Huges, a prisoner released on parole in November 2006 after serving three years for intent to commit unarmed robbery, recently pleaded guilty to stabbing an 86-year-old Jackson resident, stealing his car, and then dumping his body in Detroit.
And Thomas Pryor was only free on parole for ten days before he was charged in the robbery of a bank in Jackson. Pryor had served a few months over 5 years, the minimum sentence he received for a 2001 bank robbery, when he was paroled on February 13.
Michigan’s current recidivism rate averages 50%. With that statistic, any plan to release 5,500 prisoners in order to cut costs, means the state must be prepared from the onset for 2,700+ to reenter the system within two years. Although hopes all pend on the success of the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Program (MPRI) it is still in its early stages and the long-term results are yet to be calculated.
Changes in the prison system will likely come in many forms – parole policy, changes to sentencing guidelines, and increased community placement and transition programs such as the MPRI will certainly be addressed. In the meantime, it is corrections officers who manage these prisoners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can attest that “non-violent” is a fuzzy line.
For several years, prisoner classification has been a key concern for the officers who work behind the walls. It is believed inmates are being pushed down to lower classifications quicker than ever so they can be double bunked and crammed into facilities with lower staffing ratios. This, on top of operating short-staffed for years, creates an environment that is not safe for the inmates or the officers. The current budget that called for hiring over 700 new officers would not have filled the vacancies that presently exist around the state. With the cancellation of future classes, only 450 have been hired.
The state is in a budget crunch and without dealing with the structural deficit; it will remain that way for years.
That being said, we caution the Governor, the Legislature, and the public about any release plan. If the decision to release 5,500 inmates is made, lawmakers must be prepared to deal with those that do re-offend. Statistics show it will happen…and some, like those we have seen recently, will graduate from non-violent crimes for which they were incarcerated, to more serious, even deadly crimes.
“How do you plan to handle the public and media outcry when that occurs? Prepare now.”
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