LANSING, Mich. — Michigan's prison population has continued to go down in 2019, following a "steady and safe decline as it has for the past five years," according to the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC).
The department said data-driven policies, evidence-based research and the MDOC's Offender Success model has all led to the decline, which has brought the state prison population down to 38,005, which they say is a number that has not been seen since the mid-1990s.
“We are proud of the results we have produced for the state of Michigan,” said Heidi Washington, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. “The MDOC is often the forgotten link in public safety, but the reforms and programs our dedicated employees provide every day are making a real difference in creating a safer Michigan.”
The MDOC said in addition to the decline of the prison population, those who have been released have no been coming back to prison, and parole violations and parolees with new convictions are both down more than 20%.
Chris Gautz,MDOC spokesman said,"We get letters from parolees, we get letters from prisoners who say 'Because of this I've turned my life around. My kids now have two parents at home.' All these kinds of things 'I've completely changed my life.' And we just want to make sure we're doing more of that."
The MDOC said the total number of felonies adjudicated across the state was also on the decline.
“The Michigan Department of Corrections' community corrections professionals have worked diligently to improve the lives of people in the justice system who are paying their debt to society. These efforts have borne significant success across many areas of the department, leading to a nearly 18% drop in recidivism over the past 20 years,” said Veronica Cunningham, executive director of the American Probation and Parole Association. “With the administration's continued focus on safe communities and support for justice-involved individuals, Michigan is recognized as an innovative leader in probation and parole services and a model for community corrections nationwide.”
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