May 2020 - Safe and Just Michigan

The Truth About Truth in Sentencing Virtual Discussion

On April 29, 2020, Safe & Just Michigan hosted a virtual discussion on Michigan’s strict “truth in sentencing” law. The law not only requires people in prison to serve 100 percent of their minimum sentence before becoming eligible for parole, it also hampers efforts to get people at risk from developing complications from COVID-19 from being released from prison during the current crisis. The discussion was moderated by Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John Cooper. Panelists included:

Jessica Zimbelman, Assistant Defender for SADO
Amani Sawari, a Roddenberry Foundation fellow who is leading an effort to repeal Michigan’s Truth in Sentencing law
Anne Mahar, Ph.D., research specialist for Safe & Just Michigan

The video recording is available on SJM’s YouTube channel at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJuNqM_ZA7M

Excluding Violence from Reform?

The Surprising Truth About Violence and

Recidivism Virtual Discussion

On May 5, 2020, Safe & Just Michigan hosted a virtual discussion titled, “Excluding Violence from Reform? The surprising truth about violence and recidivism.” Whenever criminal justice reforms are passed, convictions for “violent offenses” are routinely excluded. While this may make reforms more politically palatable, these exclusions are not supported by the evidence, and they reduce the effectiveness of reforms. More than half of people in prisons nationwide are serving sentences for convictions that are defined as “violent” or “assaultive,” and this group represents more than 75 percent of people in prison in Michigan. Research shows that people convicted of these offenses are the least likely recidivate and end up back in prison and thus should not be excluded from reforms.

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This discussion was moderated by Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John S. Cooper and included: