After decades of being “tough on crime,” Michigan is starting to take a hard look at criminal justice reform.
A major, bipartisan package that was in the works last year, made its way out of a House committee. That’s after it received almost unanimous support in the Senate.
The package is aimed at things like reducing recidivism costs to the state and reducing crime overall in Michigan.
Republican Senator John Proos is a bill sponsor. He says this type of reform could set the standard for many other states to change the course of crime and victimization in communities.
“An ancillary benefit to all of that, but not one that should be misunderstood or downplayed at all is that it ultimately saves tax payer dollars also.”
Criminal justice reform activists were also in Lansing for the National Day of Empathy. They gathered to promote reform and a reduction in the incarceration rate.