As the state closes prisons and paroles a record number of prisoners as part of an effort to cut costs and re-shape the system, the ability of people to successfully build new lives will be crucial.

The Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative aims to help parolees transition back into their communities by helping them find jobs, housing as well as substance abuse treatment.

Local Area Support
• A support group for parolees, called Beyond the Bars, meets at 10 a.m. Saturdays in the conference room at the Campus Village apartments, 1151 Michigan Ave. in East Lansing. For more information, call (517) 242-2120.

• A Lansing organization - Advocacy, Reentry, Resources and Outreach (ARRO) - helps ex-offenders. On Dec. 11, the group is hosting an event so people can learn how to advocate for prisoners awaiting release. For more information, call (517) 999-2895.

Average caseload for Tri-County Area

County parole office average monthly caseload:

2007 2008 2009

Ingham 397 377 467

Clinton 32 45 47

Eaton 106 118 112

Source: Michigan Department of Corrections

For the full article, see Kevin Grasha, "State, Lansing officers take proactive role on parolees; They're being helped transition back into society", Lansing State Journal, November 22, 2009.

When Gov. Jennifer Granholm ordered state departments last month to propose ways to slash their budgets by 20 percent in advance of her 2011 budget proposal, the Michigan Department of Corrections quickly tabulated that they had to come up with $380 million in savings. That's more than what entire departments spend.

So corrections officials Tuesday were quick to endorse an idea being studied in the House that would provide credits of up to five days per month for inmates who behave behind bars. Russ Marlan, department spokesman, said the change would save $100 million alone.

Rep. Andrew Kandrevas, D-Southgate, called the bills a "work in progress" and could be confined to felons convicted of non-violent crimes. Rep. Joe Haveman, R-Holland, had a dimmer view of the prospects that lawmakers would actually vote to reduce the amount of time any felon spends behind bars.

"The public is not going to accept that method of reducing costs in our prisons," he said. Serving 100 percent of a minimum sentence is "clear, fair and everyone understands it."

For the full article, see Peter Luke, "For Michigan prisoners, how much time served is enough?", Michigan Political Report, November 17, 2009.

A convicted killer whose early release drew the wrath of Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper says he doesn't deserve to be the poster boy for controversy over the state's efforts to downsize its prison system.

"The prosecutor, court papers make me appear some kind of mad-dog public enemy," Craig LeRoy Atkins, 51, said in an interview with The Detroit News. "Did I make mistakes with my life? Yes. Did I pay for them? Yes, with 21 years of my life.

"But all the bad things they said I did have been exaggerated, and don't take into account all my good behavior," he said. "I'm proud of what I did in prison. I used prison like a university and became a paralegal."

For the full article, see Mike Martindale, "Killer defends release, says he's paid his dues", Detroit News, November 11, 2009.

Top prison officials from Pennsylvania’s corrections department have scheduled a two-day visit to Michigan next week to review the suitability of a pair of closed state prisons for housing of the Keystone State’s excess population.

Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said today that Pennsylvania’s prison director and his top deputies will tour the Muskegon Correctional Facility Nov. 19 and the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility the following day.

Both facilities closed in recent months as Michigan downsized its prison system. Pennsylvania is seeking temporary housing for up to 1,500 prisoners for four years while it constructs new prisons.

For the full article, see Dawson Bell, "Closed Mich. prisons get nibble from Pennsylvania", Detroit Free Press, November 10, 2009.

Despite some wintry weather, corrections officers and supporters staged what they considered a successful informational picket Tuesday at the entrance road to the Alger Maximum Correctional Facility in Munising Township.

The corrections officers were hoping to raise awareness about their concerns over state budget cuts and prison structural reorganization efforts they say are resulting in increasing dangers at the Alger Max prison and elsewhere in Michigan.

Their protest efforts were aimed at lawmakers who cut $120 million from the prison budget over the summer.

For the full article, see John Pepin, "Corrections officers picket at Alger Max", Mining Journal, November 5, 2009.