Michigan State Appellate Defender Office and Criminal Defense Resource Center

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Statute Retroactively Depriving Juvenile Lifers of Earned Good Time and Disciplinary Credit Violates Ex Post Facto Clause

Hill v. Snyder, E.D. Mich., 10-cv-14568, Order entered April 9, 2018

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has ruled that a Michigan statute that deprived juvenile lifers of disciplinary credit and good time earned before March 4, 2014, is an unconstitutional ex post facto law. Plaintiffs, individuals who were sentenced to mandatory life without parole for homicide crimes that they committed as juveniles, filed a motion for summary judgment on this issue, which the district court granted, ordering defendants, the MDOC and various other state officials, to apply good time and disciplinary credits in calculating parole eligibility dates for juvenile lifers resentenced to a term of years. The district court also certified plaintiffs as a class and appointed Deborah LaBelle as class counsel. The court declined to rule on plaintiffs’ allegation that denying them rehabilitative programming necessary for release on parole deprives them of a fair and meaningful opportunity for release. Read More

Prisoners May Sue MDOC and Officials Under Elliot-Larsen

Does 11-18 v Dep't of Corrections, decided by the Court of Appeals March 27, 2018

The Court of Appeals ruled that a 1999 amendment to the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) excluding correctional facilities from its “public service” provision is unconstitutional because it violated the Equal Protection Clause of Michigan’s Constitution. The court also held that governmental immunity does not apply to ELCRA claims. Prisoner-plaintiff’s lawsuit against the Department of Correction and various government officials may proceed. Read More

SADO's Project Reentry Presents "Your Best Life Reentry Workshop Series"

SADO’s Project Reentry facilitates the Your Best Life Reentry Workshop Series aimed at assisting returning citizens with essential life skills necessary for a successful transition home. These workshops are primarily geared toward reentering juvenile lifers, but all returning citizens are welcome. SADO has hosted nine workshops focused on technology, employment, finances, general support, relationships, and taxes. Information on the date and topic of the next session will be available soon. Read More

Project Reentry Publishes Newsletter for Returning Citizens

Articles, Stories, and Resources for the JLWOP Community

TheDrum is a publication, produced by SADO’s Project Reentry, featuring articles by and for former juvenile lifers returning to the community. TheDrum also identifies a wide variety of resources for returning citizens, including financial budgeting, employment opportunities, and community tips. It also includes articles from returning citizens describing their struggles and successes. Editor Brook Wolters writes, “We often hear stories from you of success and struggles, questions, and feelings of joy and loneliness. We want TheDrum to be a place where these things can be addressed by members of the JLWOP community, and to serve as a reminder that you are not alone.” Read More

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This project was funded by the Byrne JAG grant #2010-DJ-BX-0003, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and administered by the Michigan state Police (MSP). Points of view or opinions contained within this document do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the MSP or DOJ.