It's a Good Time for Good Time

Since I came to prison in 2009, at least once a year a rumor starts concerning good time sentence reductions coming back to Michigan. In 1983 Michigan did away with good time, and in 1996 it did away with disciplinary credits, another form of limited good time, for new prisoners. Since 1996 every newly sentenced prisoner has been sentenced under truth in sentencing, meaning they will serve at least their minimum sentence. This means that Michigan's prisoners' only incentive for good behavior while incarcerated is release at one's earliest release date. Abandoning a policy that motivates prisoners toward rehabilitation through the use of positive reinforcement (encouraging good citizenship), Michigan has instead adopted a policy that uses negative reinforcement (parole denials and long-term segregation) to motivate conformity to prison rules. 

Rumors of good time's return notwithstanding, Michigan has yet to pass legislation bringing back the pre-1983 sentence reduction incentives. Many prisoners have begun to lose hope that good time will return at all, but today we are closer to its return than any time since 1983. Recently, Michigan Representatives Martin Howrylak (R) and David LaGrand (D) introduced a package of bills to reintroduce good time sentence reductions for Michigan's current and future prisoners. Whether motivated by Michigan's budget woes or by a realization that Michigan's prison policies of the last three decades have been a miserable failure, I'm happy to see two courageous State Representatives making this bipartisan effort. 

Under this package of bills, Michigan's prisoners will earn five days off their sentence per month where they exhibit good behavior, gradually stepping up every two to three years to eventually earning fifteen days per month after serving twenty years. This means that the average prisoner who is sentenced to a five-year minimum will serve just over four years two months, a prisoner sentenced to ten years will serve just over eight years two months, and a prisoner sentenced to twenty years will serve fifteen years nine months. These reductions depend on a prisoner exhibiting good behavior in prison. Prisoners who are committed to their criminal mindset and behavior will miss out on these reductions because of major misconduct tickets. 

Bringing back good time for Michigan's prisoners faces a tough uphill battle. House Bills 5665, 5666, and 5667 are currently in the House Committee on Law and Justice and have yet to come up to the House floor for a vote. Well over 90% of Michigan's prisoners will be released from prison after serving their sentences. If you support encouraging and rewarding good citizenship for these people who will eventually return to their communities, please urge your State Representative to vote for H.B. 5665, 5666, and 5667. You can find your Representative's contact information at www.house.mi.gov. Please send them a letter or email urging support for these important bills. This is a great step in Michigan getting smart on crime.