LANSING — State Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) today issued the following statement about the final report compiled by the bipartisan Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, in which they recommended to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions and length of stay, and improve Michigan’s justice system:
“It’s truly been an honor to serve the state of Michigan and the 3rd Senate District as a part of the governor’s task force, where we took a hard look at our criminal justice system and provided a plan for improvement.
“While the report issued today offers many solutions, I am most proud of the work done in the Sentencing, Probation and Parole subgroup that I chaired. Our recommendations would reduce driver’s license suspensions, reclassify some misdemeanors as civil infractions, and amend the law to eliminate mandatory minimums for misdemeanor offenses. While there is still much work ahead, this is a start and a step in the right direction of making a difference for families who have lost a loved one to a system that overly, and inconsistently, prosecutes people of color and the poor.”
The Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration was established by Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order No. 2019-10, with the goal of developing innovative and thorough recommendations for changes in state law, policy, and appropriations to expand alternatives to jail, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Michigan’s justice systems.
The recommendations they issued can be read online here.
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*Photo Credit: Dave Olds, Michigan Senate Democrats