Criminal Justice Reform at the Top of Governor’s List
Criminal Justice Reform was one of the many things that Governor Snyder had hoped to tackle in 2015. But with the number of other things that took priority, in the end it was shelved and bumped forward to 2016. Well, folks, it is officially 2016, and the Governor is hoping to revisit that particular issue in the early part of this year.
Snyder is convinced that our state’s criminal justice system needs a massive overhaul. And he’s certain that he’s the man for the job. In a recent interview with the press, he explained that his goals were to work towards “smarter justice” for Michigan. But what does that look like, exactly?
The Governor sums it up as making the most of every opportunity for efficiency and cost savings. But don’t worry, the focus here isn’t just on saving money, which usually ends up being a terrible deal for incarcerated people. Snyder wants to take that saved money and reinvest it in other parts of the criminal justice system that are currently underfunded and badly neglected.
Things like diversionary and re-entry programs, which are proven to have better outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. By making more resources available for things like reforms in the juvenile justice system, and the introduction of presumptive parole for convicts following their release, Snyder is hoping to breathe life into a system that clearly isn’t delivering on its many promises.
Currently the House and Senate are somewhat divided on how this subject should be approached. The House seems to favor a rather piecemeal approach, dealing with individual pieces of legislation on a case-by-case basis, while the Senate favors a more unified, overall approach that addresses the entirety of the criminal justice system in one go. According to Snyder, he doesn’t really have a preference with regards to how it’s done. What’s important, he says, is that the outcome is good.
So, here’s to 2016! A year for new beginnings, positive changes, and hopefully a more people-centered and outcome-oriented criminal justice system for Michigan. Because we desperately need it.