Finally Redefining Michigan’s Sentencing
Earlier this year on February 28, Republican Martin Howrylak and Democrat David LaGrand introduced the Good Time Bill (HB 5666) to the House of Representatives proposing that good time credits be added to sentences served in Michigan state prisons. This is something that is already being done on the federal level and in the vast majority of the United States. The only states who currently have no Good Time credit polities are Michigan, Montana and South Dakota. Early this year both Michigan and South Dakota have proposed good time bills in response to overcrowding issues to allow inmates to accrue good time credits, reducing the number of years served on their sentences. With the United States criminal justice system bursting at the seams and worldwide attention on the developed county’s downward spiral in regards to reform, these bills are a very much needed attempt to reverse a national trend of hypocrisy in the ‘land of the free’. It’s about time for these states that are lagging in relation to sentencing policy to join the majority in allowing inmates to demonstrate their improvement by earning good time on their sentences in order to work towards release.
Good time credit is a sentence reduction for prisoners who maintain good behavior during their incarceration, its the reasonable response for a system interested in rehabilitation over blind retribution. Michigan’s good time bill proposes credit be earned as follows:
(a) During the first and second years of his or her sentence, 5 days for each month.
(b) During the third and fourth years, 6 days for each month.
(c) During the fifth and sixth years, 7 days for each month.
(d) During the seventh, eighth, and ninth years, 9 days for each month.
(e) During the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth years, 10 days for each month.
(f) During the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth years, 12 days for each month.
(g) From and including the twentieth year, up to and including the period fixed for the expiration of the sentence, 15 days for each month.
Rehabilitation Over Retribution
The possibility for prisoners to earn good time while serving their sentence is proven to improve the climate within institutions by giving prisoners an insensitive for good behavior. This reduces the number of violent incidents that occur within institutions and improves inmate-staff relations. Prisons become safer places for inmates and staff as a result of good time taking effect. In addition, it also relieves the weight of overpopulated facilities by reducing sentences people leave prison sooner and populations don’t swell becoming stagnant and draining resources, less tex dollars are spent keeping people in prison longer. Why keep prisoners serving sentences past their point of rehabilitation? This is only destructive, there is no reason to keep men and women in a system once they’ve proven that they’ve changed their pattern of thinking through the improvement of their behavior. We must allow individuals who’ve shown their ability to demonstrate positive outcomes, especially in the violent and oppressive environment of a prison, the opportunity to develop further as productive members of society.
The point of a prison is to separate dangerous individuals from society. Many men and women who’re in prison have made mistakes as a result of flawed thinking patterns, most of which arise from unfavorable life circumstances. For example, many of the youth I work with in detention have parents who are abusive and/or addicted to drugs, these circumstances leave them without basic needs met. Without guidance and encouragement to do otherwise, desperate people can only think as far as getting what they need and not as far as the consequences. Stealing is easier than waiting for mom to get get off of drugs, its less stress than hoping that dad can find another job and those types of unsupervised choices lead to arrest and imprisonment. Some of these children make these types of choices for years and prison puts a halt on the opportunity to commit crimes, while incarcerated some people fall prey to the ill thinking patterns of others while others make the conscious choice to put an end to their cycle of bad decisions. Although some may be from families of abused and incarcerated people, they make the choice to end the trend of incarceration and they demonstrate that choice through their good behavior while serving their sentence. It is imperative for the state to get behind that choice by supporting inmates who demonstrate good behavior, this shows that the state is invested in their incarcerated citizens and their rehabilitation.
Its Time to Make the Call
The fact that both the Republican and Democratic party have come together to propose this bill is a good sign. I urge Michigan State residents to call their representatives and voice their support for the Good Time Bill, not only for the lives of the thousands of inmates who depend on this bill but also the lives of their children, spouses, friends and other family members whose lives are directly and indirectly impacted by their incarceration. Through the passing of this bill thousands of families will have the opportunity to be made whole much sooner than minimum sentences would have allowed prior, single parent households will have potential for more income, relationships once hindered will not have the opportunity to flourish, men and women who would have otherwise been halted from living productive lives will have the chance to positively impact their communities. This is a critical step in the right direction for Michigan and we must not lose the opportunity to support at this stage in the house, the vote for it’s passing will be on April 10th.
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