Tag: Crime and Punishment

Good Time Still Makes Good Sense

The article discusses the ongoing challenges of Michigan's prison system, particularly the lack of broad good-time and earned-time credit policies, which allow prisoners to reduce their sentences through good behavior and rehabilitation participation. Currently, Michigan's average minimum sentences have increased significantly, contributing to a higher prison population and increased corrections spending, which exceeds $2 billion annually. Evidence from other states illustrates that good-time credits can reduce recidivism and lower costs while promoting safety and rehabilitation. The author argues for reform, emphasizing the importance of creating incentives for prisoners to engage positively with rehabilitation programs, which in turn fosters public safety and effective reentry.

Veterans in Prison and the Rise of Veterans Treatment Courts

For many Americans, the phrase “justice-involved veteran” feels like a contradiction. Military service is commonly associated with discipline, sacrifice, and public honor. Yet for decades, thousands of veterans have cycled through jails and prisons in the United States. Their presence in correctional institutions is not a minor footnote in criminal justice history. It reflects a long-running intersection of war, trauma, addiction, mental health struggles, economic instability, and uneven access to treatment. At the same time, it has forced courts, policymakers, and veterans’ advocates to confront a difficult question: what should justice look like when criminal behavior is connected to military service and untreated wounds?

Whitewashed

The article discusses two types of prison neglect in America: visible neglect, characterized by deteriorating conditions like mold and contaminated water, and administrative neglect that downplays these issues through bureaucratic tactics. The Michigan Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility exemplifies this problem, where reports of mold and poor ventilation have been ignored despite ongoing litigation. Nationally, a pattern of denial and deflection emerges, revealing a systemic failure to address environmental hazards in prisons, ultimately compromising inmates' health and safety.

GPS Monitoring and Parole: Safety Tool or Lifetime Burden?

I have previously written about my experience wearing a GPS Tether while on parole in an article called Tether Ball and Chain that was published back in December of 2018. Since then, as part of my ministry, I have spoken with other people who have had to wear a GPS tether as a condition of parole and a surprising number of them who must wear it for life.  I thought it was time to revisit the topic with up-to-date information regarding electronic monitoring as used by the State of Michigan, with context about how this practice is used in other states and by the federal government.

Reform Solitary Confinement Practices in Michigan Prisons Now!

May is Unlock the Box Mental Health Awareness Month, aimed at advocating against solitary confinement. The Unlock the Box Campaign, active in 22 states, highlights the severe psychological effects of solitary confinement, with Michigan's Open MI Door leading local efforts for reform. While some segregation may be necessary for safety, prolonged isolation causes significant harm and is inconsistent with human rights standards. Reform should focus on limiting segregation duration and promoting humane alternatives to improve inmate conditions and rehabilitative outcomes.

Locked Down: How Prison Lockdowns Undermine Mental Health and Rehabilitation in U.S. Prisons

In many U.S. prisons, “lockdown” no longer describes a rare emergency response to a riot or a narrowly targeted security incident. It has become a recurring operational mode: housing units sealed, movement halted, yard and dayroom time canceled, phones restricted, visits suspended, and education, treatment, and job assignments paused—sometimes for days, weeks, or even months. Reporting in recent years has documented extended lockdowns tied not only to violence but also to chronic understaffing and overcrowding, raising a stark question: When a prison can’t run its basic schedule safely, are we still operating a rehabilitative institution or merely warehousing human beings behind steel doors?

Why “Ban the Box” Is Not Enough

“Ban the Box” laws were created to stop employers from using a checkmark on an application as a shortcut for exclusion. By delaying questions about criminal history until later in the hiring process—often after an interview or even after a conditional offer—these policies aim to ensure candidates are first evaluated on skills and experience. But delaying the question is not the same as limiting how criminal history is used. In practice, many applicants are still screened out once background checks occur, often through broad, risk-averse policies that treat any record as disqualifying. And for some people—especially those affected by ongoing civil restrictions like sex offense registration—there may be no real “fresh start” because the punishment never truly ends. In short, Ban the Box is a helpful first step, but it is not enough to stop background checks from becoming a quiet, permanent barrier to employment.

April Is Second Chance Month: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Every April, communities across the United States pause to recognize a powerful truth: no one should be defined forever by their worst mistake. April is Second Chance Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the barriers facing people with criminal records and to promote policies and practices that support successful reentry, restoration, and community safety.

Butt Naked Fish

Not much needs more to be said about food service in the MDOC than to mention “Butt Naked Fish.”  This will elicit a visceral response from anyone who has served appreciable time as a prisoner.  BFN is an unbreaded fish fillet that has more in common with particle board than Van de Kamp’s.