Safe & Just Michigan - October 2022

All Quiet At The Capitol

The halls of the state Capitol remain quiet as legislators continue to focus on the upcoming November elections. Unfortunately, that means there is no progress to report on bills that we have been tracking, such as proposals to end juvenile life without parole sentencing or to overhaul Michigan’s cash bail system.

While this is disappointing, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road for this year’s legislative efforts. The time between the election and the end of the year — known as the lame duck session — is an often-unpredictable time when lawmakers cobble together deals to pass favorite pieces of legislation. During lame duck, bills that have seen little activity for several months are sometimes picked up and quickly passed as part of one of these agreements.

Although we have no way of knowing whether criminal justice reform bills could be included in lame duck legislation this year, we will be carefully watching legislative committees and chamber sessions, and we will keep you posted as the lame duck session unfolds later in the fall.

Mark Your Calendars For
Our Annual Meeting and Dinner Events

Safe & Just Michigan will be handling our annual meeting a bit differently this year. Up to now, we have combined both events into one busy evening. This year, however, we decided to separate the two. We will host our annual membership meeting online on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and will host our dinner event, “A Celebration of Growth,” on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 5-9 p.m.

Our annual membership meeting on Oct. 20 will include legislative and research updates and a forecast for 2023 as well as board member elections. This meeting is open to all and free to attend — however, pre-registration is necessary in order to get the link to join us. Please register now at bit.ly/SJM2022.

This year, Safe & Just Michigan is hosting its inaugural Celebration of Growth signature event on Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 5-9 p.m. This annual celebration of progress toward reducing harm caused by both crime and over-reliance on incarceration in our Michigan communities will be held at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West located at 925 S. Creyts Road in Lansing.

The Celebration of Growth will be an in-person event featuring keynote speaker, Lester Young, CEO of Path2Redemption and author of “The Five Stages of Growth.” Mr. Young will discuss healing, finding our voice, and giving power and purpose to your life. In addition, we will be granting the first ever Justice Warrior Awards for extraordinary work toward social justice reform in Michigan. The evening will include a networking and mingling hour prior to dinner. The night will conclude with a coffee and dessert social. Safe & Just Michigan’s Celebration of Growth is intended to be a gathering for criminal justice reform-minded leaders of businesses, nonprofits, government, communities, and advocacy along with directly impacted persons. New this year, we’ve removed the registration fee to make it easier for all people who are interested to join us. However, space is limited. To register, please go to bit.ly/SJMCELEBRATE22.

Visit our website at
www.safeandjustmi.org. If you would like to join Safe & Just Michigan’s efforts, please contact us at
info@safeandjustmi.org or sign up for our electronic communications at
bit.ly/sjmsignup.