Fw: Productivity credits get hearing - 2021 Annual Meeting two weeks away - Latest news from Safe & Just Michigan
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Linda D
Oct 1, 2021, 12:36:54 PM10/1/21
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----- Forwarded Message -----From: "John S. Cooper" <jo...@safeandjustmi.org>To: "drwh...@yahoo.com" <drwh...@yahoo.com>Sent: Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 8:03 PMSubject: Productivity credits get hearing - 2021 Annual Meeting two weeks away - Latest news from Safe & Just Michigan
Sept. 30, 2021Update fromSafe & JustMichiganLouis L. Reed, left, senior director of membership and partnerships for the REFORM Alliance, and Safe & Just Michigan Policy Analyst Josh Hoe were part of a panel that discussed the federal First Step Act at the Detroit Institute of Art on Sunday, Sept. 26. The discussion followed a screening of "The First Step," a documentary about the effort to pass the legislation, which Reed and Hoe both participated in. Hear more about recent and upcoming community events involving Safe & Just Michigan below.
From the executive director
DUI expungement signed into law
This year, we will be honoring the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, the Hon. Bridget Mary McCormack, with the Gov. William G. Milliken Award for her contributions to criminal justice reform in the past year. Among other things, she served as co-chair of the Joint Task Force on Jails and Pretrial Incarceration and was a strong supporter of the Clean Slate campaign.
For our keynote speaker, we welcome Jeffrey Korzenik, the author of "Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community." His book makes the business case for second chance hiring and for criminal justice reform more broadly. At SJM, we see the support of the business community as strategically important to continued progress on criminal justice reform, and we look forward to discussing this further with you on Oct. 14.
You can get your ticket now by clicking here. Tickets are $25 to join us in person, or $10 for the virtual option. However, we don't want cost to be a barrier for anyone. Please contact us at in...@safeandjustmi.org to ask about a complimentary ticket.Thanks,
John S. Cooper
Executive Director
Productivity credits get hearing
Bills would credit time for learning
Earlier today, the House Rules and Competitiveness Committee held a hearing on House Bills 4670-4673. The bills would create a system allowing incarcerated people to earn credits that would reduce their sentence if they complete programs intended to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
It's important to note that this is the very first step of the legislative process. There's a long way to go, and while we will work hard with lead bill advocates Alliance for Safety and Justice, there's no guarantee they will ultimately pass in this session. Even if they do, lawmakers may decide to make changes to the details of the bills.
That said, here are some of the details of the bills as they are currently written:
- Programs that would lead to credits include GED programs, vocational programs, higher education programs and any other program designated by the Michigan Department of Corrections
- The amount of credits will vary by the kind of program completed, such as: 120 days credit for a program leading to a diploma, degree or certificate; 90 days for a program that does not lead to a diploma, GED or degree; up to 20 days for each month a person is enrolled in an MDOC-approved program
- Productivity credits are capped at 20 percent of a person's sentence, or two years, whichever is less
- Credits can be forfeited for a month during which a person is found guilty of major misconduct
- The program will not be retrospective, meaning it will only apply to people newly sentenced after it is signed into law
- The program won't apply to people convicted of murder, sex offenses or human trafficking, which comprises about 40 percent of Michigan's prison population.
No vote was taken on the legislation today - it was merely the first step in the legislative process. We will keep you posted on the progress of these bills in Michigan's Legislature.
Expungement, career events scheduled
Join us at events around the stateAutumn is shaping up to be a busy season for criminal justice reform in Michigan. Besides our own annual meeting (keep reading below for details), there are legislative learning sessions, webinars, expungement fairs and more.
Here are some of the upcoming events that Safe & Just Michigan is either sponsoring or co-sponsoring:
- Oct. 5 - Lansing - 31 States and Counting: The Trend to Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole - Speaker's Library in the Michigan State Capitol at noon
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles are unconstitutional. Many people mistakenly think that ended the practice sentencing juveniles to life without parole, but Michigan remains one of 19 states allowing the practice. join Safe & Just Michigan, the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice about why that's a problem, and what we can do about it. Lunch provided; everyone welcome.
- Oct. 14 - Lansing: Rally in Support of Second Look Legislation - Capitol Lawn, noon - 3 p.m.
Safe & Just Michigan is proud to join lead sponsor, the Michigan Coalition to End Mass Incarceration, in a rally to support legislation that would require cases and sentences to be reviewed after a person has served a term of years on a long sentence. We hope as many people as possible will show up to visibly demonstrate support for this necessary legislation.
- Oct. 14 - Lansing and online: Safe & Just Michigan Annual Meeting - Lansing Radisson Hotel and via livestream - 6-8 p.m.
We hope you'll be with us as we present State Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack with the Gov. William G. Milliken Award and hear from author Jeffrey Korzenik, author of "Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community." Tickets available now at http://bit.ly/2021SJM
- Oct. 26 - Online: A conversation with Fordham University Professor John Pfaff on the rising murder rate in U.S. cities
Safe & Just Michigan Policy Analyst Josh Hoe will have a conversation with Fordham University Law Professor John Pfaff about the troubling trend of increased murder rates in American cities in recent years. Many critics are pinning the increase on recent criminal justice reform advances, but Hoe and Pfaff have research indicating other factors are influencing the situation. We will be publicizing the sign up link soon - please watch our Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information.
Development fellows join SJM staff
Fellows want to use skills in their communitiesSafe & Just Michigan has welcomed two development fellows onto our staff. Tamir Bell and Justin Counts will work with Development Director Amy Smitter to learn about fundraising and grant writing.
Both Bell and Counts have firsthand experience with the justice system.
Bell returned home last year after 12 years of incarceration. He wants to use fundraising skills to start a Detroit community center that will help youth with counseling, academics and sports.
Counts came home to Jackson after 2½ years of incarceration realized how having a record complicates getting a job or a home. He works with a nonprofit combatting homelessness, and he’d like to use fundraising skills to start a program that teaches financial literacy to youth.
Smitter said the fellows program is one way SJM empowers justice-impacted people to become effective advocates for change.
“So many justice-impacted individuals want to help reform the system, and fundraising is an often overlooked way to have a big impact on criminal justice reform,” she said.
Safe & Just Michigan Development Fellows Tamir Bell (left) and Justin Counts.
Jails Task Force bills take effect Oct. 1
Laws change driver's license suspension rules
A flurry of new laws that arose from the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration are set to go into effect Oct. 1. The new laws will stop the practice of suspending driver's licenses for reasons other than unsafe driving.
The new laws are expected to make a significant difference in the number of Michiganders who face detention in jail. The charge of driving on a suspended license is one of the leading drivers of the state's jail population.
The new laws are among nearly 20 that followed task force recommendations and that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law last year. Other task force bills eliminated mandatory jail sentences for certain offenses, enabled police to issue tickets instead of making an arrest, creating a presumption of a non-jail sentence for some offenses and making reforms to probation and parole.Get help with expungements
With Clean Slate now the law, many organizations around the state are ready to provide help to people who want an expungement. Here are some of the groups that are providing either free or low-cost assistance to people who are interested in clearing their criminal record. Some of these are available to people statewide, while others are tailored to a smaller geographical area:
Michigan Legal Help
Michigan Legal Aid intake or by phone at 888.783.8190
Michigan Supreme Court Clean Slate website
Great Lakes Expungement Network (Cannabis-related expungements)
City of Detroit’s Project Clean Slate (Detroit residents only) or by phone at 313.237.3024
Oakland County MichiganWorks! (Oakland County residents only)
Clean Slate UP from UP MichiganWorks! (Upper Peninsula residents only)
Media mentions from SJM
With the signing of the DUI expungement bills in the news, Safe & Just Michigan continues to bring the case for smart and effective criminal justice reform policy to the public.:
- Expungement of criminal record to help ‘tens of thousands’ - Grand Rapids Business Journal, Sept. 3: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed legislation that allows for the expungement of criminal records for first-time offenders who were convicted of operating while intoxicated (OWI). ... “Safe & Just Michigan thanks Gov. Whitmer for signing these popular, bipartisan bills, which represent a long-awaited chance for a fresh start for tens of thousands of Michiganders whose opportunities have been limited by a single old DUI conviction,” said John S. Cooper, executive director of Safe & Just Michigan. “Drunk driving is a serious problem in Michigan, but permanently limiting a person’s ability to work and drive based on a one-time, decades-old mistake does not make sense. People who can show that their DUI conviction was a one-time mistake should have an opportunity to make a fresh start.”
- Whitmer Signs Bill To Expunge Some OWI Convictions - Radio Results Network, Sept. 10: Governor Whitmer today signed Senate Bill 400, which strengthens expungement legislation that the governor signed last month for a first violation of operating while intoxicated (OWI). The governor also signed Senate Bill 408, which strengthens judicial procedures. ... “Safe & Just Michigan thanks Gov. Whitmer for signing SB 400, which was a key component of the first offense OWI package that passed last month,” said John S. Cooper, Executive Director of Safe and Just Michigan. “These bills represent a long-awaited chance for a fresh start for tens of thousands of Michiganders whose opportunities have been limited by a single old drunk driving conviction. We also thank Sen. McBroom, Rep. Yancey, Rep. Bellino, and the other legislative leaders on this issue that were instrumental in moving these bills through the legislative process with broad bipartisan support.”
- New felony firearm policy mounts tension at city council meeting - The State News, Sept. 21: On Tuesday, Sept. 14, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth came to the city council discussion to advocate against Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon's new felony firearm policy. ... According to safeandjustmi.org, “Black people in Michigan comprise just 14 percent of the state's population, but are heavily overrepresented in prison, where they account for 53 percent of the incarcerated population.. ... Among people incarcerated on felony firearm charges, the disparity is even worse, with Black people comprising 82 percent of those sentenced."
Join our partners at their events
Safe & Just Michigan is glad to help our partners get the word out about events and activities that they're leading across the state in the coming weeks. Here are some of them:
- Friday, Oct. 1 - Muskegon: The Black and Brown Cannabis Guild is sponsoring an expungement fair from 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Muskegon Farmer's Market, 242 W. Western Ave. Register here.
- Saturday, Oct. 2 - Detroit: The Black and Brown Cannabis Guild and the House of Dank are sponsoring an expungement fair from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Horatio Williams Foundation, 1010 Antietam Ave. in Detroit. Register here.
- Thursday, Oct. 7 - Online: Citizens for Prison Reform is holding an online Night of Comedy & Celebrating Advocacy from 7-8:30 p.m. The evening will include performances by Kris Daniel and comedian Scott White and an online art auction with art donated by the Prison Creative Arts Project. No need to register for the comedy event - just go to this link at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7.
- Ongoing - Online: University of Kansas student Heather Moore, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in education, is seeking people who would be interested in helping her with her doctoral research. She is looking for formerly incarcerated Black men who are currently enrolled in college classes or have been enrolled in college courses within the past three years. The purpose of the research is to learn how formerly incarcerated Black men define and achieve success in education. Participants will be invited to take part in a 60-90 minute online or in-person interview, and pseudonyms may be used to protect privacy. Participants will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. If you are interested or know someone who may be, contact Heather by email or click here to receive an eligibility questionnaire for participation. You can also contact Principal Investigator, Dr. Christy Craft at 785.532.5940 or the Kansas State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 785.532.3224 or by email.
two weeks away!
We're making the final preparations for a memorable and meaningful evening, and we want to make sure you are a part of it. We look forward to hearing from Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, who will talk with us about the importance of making our state's courts more just as she is presented with the Gov. William G. Milliken award. We're also excited to hear from author Jeffrey Korzenik, who will be laying out the business case for hiring people who have a criminal record, which he did in his book "Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community."
Most of all, we look forward to reconnecting with as many of you as possible. The past year has been a challenging one for many of us, and several people have felt isolated. Whether we are together in person or online, it will be wonderful to know we are together with others who care just as deeply about criminal justice reform.
Tickets are available now for either the in-person or livestream option. Please note: sales of in-person tickets close at 9 a.m. on Oct. 8!
Get tickets for the 2021 Safe & Just Michigan Annual Meeting
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