Decades ago Michigan prisoners were able to earn sentence reductions for good behavior. It was generally referred to as "good time." After good time was eliminated, disciplinary credits remained an incentive for Michigan prisoners to participate in rehabilitative programming and to follow the rules. It's been decades now since Michigan offered any sort of rehabilitative incentive, operating instead on "Truth in Sentencing," which seeks to ensure victims of crime that offenders will serve at least the minimum sentence they are given.
The most recent legislative attempt to bring back good time or some other time cut incentives (2018) failed to gain any traction. Despite the nationwide campaign against mass incarceration, including excessively long sentences, Michigan continues to have one of the longest average prison terms in the US. Apparently Michigan is one of only three states who do not offer some form of sentence reductions for good behavior. Even the federal prison system has a form of good time.
Most people are not aware that Michigan's jail system, which is designed for sentences of one year or less, offers time cuts for good behavior. Jail inmates who follow the rules, and in some cases who maintain a job in jail, are given time cuts from their sentences. It is possible for jail inmates to serve around 70% of their actual sentences. Yet, this option is not available for prisoners sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Since the Michigan legislature does not appear prepared to join the nationwide push to reduce sentences and incarceration levels, a grassroots effort is now underway to pass a bill allowing Michigan prisoners to earn credits for early release. The Michigan Prisoner Rehabilitation Credit Act is designed to incentivize prisoner participation in self-directed rehabilitation efforts. It will offer time off for maintaining a job in prison, completing a GED, participating in vocational training, or earning a post-secondary degree or certificate. Military veterans, prisoners sentenced as juveniles, and mentally ill, disabled, and elderly prisoners will be able to earn additional credit. Prisoners who catch major misconduct tickets or those who refuse to participate in jobs or programming will (at least temporarily) lose their ability to earn early release credit.
Because this Act is a grassroots effort, it needs your support. We need people who will collect signatures from people who support putting this Act on the ballot. If you believe what statistics show, that prisoners who voluntarily participate in education and job training are much less likely to reoffend, please support this Act.
To learn how you can both sign the petition, and how you can collect signatures yourself, please visit www.mprca.info. You can also connect with this petition drive at www.facebook.com/RepealTISMyth and www.twitter.com/prisonerled.
Many people are affected by loved ones in prison, so share these websites with your friends and family on social media, and add your voice to the many people who believe that prisoners are people too, and that they should not be defined by their worst mistakes.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
Continuity of What Health Care?
I read a remarkably disturbing statistic this week, which claimed that "incarcerated people have up to 12 times the risk of death within the first two weeks after release, and up to four times within the first year" (Dr. Ashwin Vasan, quoted in MI-Cure, 02/2020). This startling statistic probably reflects both a staggering failure of the MDOC to effectively address opioid addiction through prison treatment (resulting in heroin overdoses soon after release from prison), and, as the source of this quote notes, a lack of continuity of health care for released prisoners.
To be fair, opioid addiction is very complex, and addiction specialists in prison do try to help addicts change their thinking and behavior. But, the pull of addiction is intensely strong, and the programs in prison that seek to address this problem are not always very effective. Mental health issues also contribute to addiction relapse, and continuity of health care directly affects how released prisoners with mental illness are treated.
Michigan House Bill 4700 (which passed the House in December) seeks to address the continuity of care issues for discharged prisoners with mental health challenges. This bill would be a step in the right direction of ensuring that these released prisoners are released into a managed health care situation that would reduce their risk both of relapsing into drug addiction and of committing additional crimes. The bill is still waiting Senate approval and signing by the governor.
I support legislation like this one that tackles these complex issues. However, I have seen little adequacy in the MDOC's own health care services, so I am skeptical of any claims of continuity of care. If this bill expects to give a released prisoner the same level of health care he/she receives in prison, that is not saying much. As yet another example of inadequate care, I have recently been suffering with a chronic cough as the result of a bad cold over a month ago. After kiting health care services to see a nurse, I waited a week to be put on call out, only to be told I'd have to be rescheduled (which could take more days).
Undoubtedly, this cold/flu season has been pretty bad, even in prison, so health services is likely overwhelmed with requests for service. But in the hour and a half I sat in the waiting room, only to be told I'd be rescheduled, health services saw fewer than half a dozen prisoners. Instead, some nurses were out on lunch break while others stood around chatting. Because correctional health services are not federally funded, they are not required to meet certain clinical standards (MI-Cure, 02/2020). This is abundantly clear in how they conduct their services.
I want to be fair to the hard working nurses and other health care providers who do their best to provide quality services, but I also want to note that these are exceptions to the rule in prison. Health care services for incarcerated people are often limited by incentivizing money-saving policies, bureaucratic idiocy, and a general unconcern for prisoner health issues.
I'm grateful for legislators attempting to resolve the gap in health care for people released from prison, especially for those with mental health needs. This is greatly needed. But so much more work is needed, including drastically improving the apathetic attitudes and lack of adequate care currently offered in prison.
To be fair, opioid addiction is very complex, and addiction specialists in prison do try to help addicts change their thinking and behavior. But, the pull of addiction is intensely strong, and the programs in prison that seek to address this problem are not always very effective. Mental health issues also contribute to addiction relapse, and continuity of health care directly affects how released prisoners with mental illness are treated.
Michigan House Bill 4700 (which passed the House in December) seeks to address the continuity of care issues for discharged prisoners with mental health challenges. This bill would be a step in the right direction of ensuring that these released prisoners are released into a managed health care situation that would reduce their risk both of relapsing into drug addiction and of committing additional crimes. The bill is still waiting Senate approval and signing by the governor.
I support legislation like this one that tackles these complex issues. However, I have seen little adequacy in the MDOC's own health care services, so I am skeptical of any claims of continuity of care. If this bill expects to give a released prisoner the same level of health care he/she receives in prison, that is not saying much. As yet another example of inadequate care, I have recently been suffering with a chronic cough as the result of a bad cold over a month ago. After kiting health care services to see a nurse, I waited a week to be put on call out, only to be told I'd have to be rescheduled (which could take more days).
Undoubtedly, this cold/flu season has been pretty bad, even in prison, so health services is likely overwhelmed with requests for service. But in the hour and a half I sat in the waiting room, only to be told I'd be rescheduled, health services saw fewer than half a dozen prisoners. Instead, some nurses were out on lunch break while others stood around chatting. Because correctional health services are not federally funded, they are not required to meet certain clinical standards (MI-Cure, 02/2020). This is abundantly clear in how they conduct their services.
I want to be fair to the hard working nurses and other health care providers who do their best to provide quality services, but I also want to note that these are exceptions to the rule in prison. Health care services for incarcerated people are often limited by incentivizing money-saving policies, bureaucratic idiocy, and a general unconcern for prisoner health issues.
I'm grateful for legislators attempting to resolve the gap in health care for people released from prison, especially for those with mental health needs. This is greatly needed. But so much more work is needed, including drastically improving the apathetic attitudes and lack of adequate care currently offered in prison.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Don't Talk About It; Be About It
You're driving down the road when you come across a construction zone. A construction worker is shoveling or doing some kind of labor while half a dozen others stand around either watching or talking. If you're like me, the first thing you think of is, "This must be a state job." Why is that? It's because government labor isn't exactly known for its efficiency. It's also not known for its quality, which is why my dad (a lifelong government employee) used to joke, "It's good enough for government work."
Just this week I jokingly told an officer that another officer, who was (surprisingly) shoveling snow outside, needed his help. This officer's response? "Oh, no. I don't work anymore. That's why I took this job." Sadly, this is a common sentiment, not just among prison's state workers, but in government work in general. The seemingly deep pockets of the government somehow justify putting in a half-hearted effort and an inattention to producing quality.
After I had been in prison for a few years, I was working a kitchen job as a lead lineman. My responsibility was to ensure that while food was being served that my line was properly supplied with food, and that prisoners were served efficiently and appropriately. I took pride in working with my team to get the job done and to do it well. We even had a communication system set up so we didn't run out of food at any point during service. If someone didn't want to work the line as our team had designed, he was moved to another job.
One day as our line was serving at least three prisoners to the other line's one, an MDOC captain approached the food steward overseeing our production. "What's going on with this line?" he asked, gesturing to our line. "Why are they moving so fast? They're serving three people to the other line's one." The food steward bragged that we were an efficient team who worked well together, but the captain's response? "Tell them to slow down. They're making the other line look bad."
Honestly, I was shocked to hear such stupidity. For someone in charge of custody to want to drag out food service longer than necessary made no sense. It would have made more sense if he had urged the food steward to hurry the other line up. But no, the longer the chow lines took to serve, the longer custody could delay having to open the yard, or so I justfied his crazy instructions.
To be fair, this sort of lazy mentality is problematic among prisoners, too. There are exceptions, like two prisoners in my unit who, despite the fact that they are unpaid volunteers, work hard to keep the bathrooms clean. There are exceptions among staff, too. Nevertheless, I can't help but wonder how much money the government could save, both from the over $2 billion corrections budget and from other state agencies, if "state work" meant high efficiency and good quality rather than the bureaucratic wastefulness it's known for now.
I know...hoping we can eliminate government waste is like wishfully thinking that we can eradicate crime. It's not going to happen. But, we can still work to improve...if we can stop standing around talking about it and actually start working to get things done. As the saying goes in prison, "Don't talk about it; be about it."
Just this week I jokingly told an officer that another officer, who was (surprisingly) shoveling snow outside, needed his help. This officer's response? "Oh, no. I don't work anymore. That's why I took this job." Sadly, this is a common sentiment, not just among prison's state workers, but in government work in general. The seemingly deep pockets of the government somehow justify putting in a half-hearted effort and an inattention to producing quality.
After I had been in prison for a few years, I was working a kitchen job as a lead lineman. My responsibility was to ensure that while food was being served that my line was properly supplied with food, and that prisoners were served efficiently and appropriately. I took pride in working with my team to get the job done and to do it well. We even had a communication system set up so we didn't run out of food at any point during service. If someone didn't want to work the line as our team had designed, he was moved to another job.
One day as our line was serving at least three prisoners to the other line's one, an MDOC captain approached the food steward overseeing our production. "What's going on with this line?" he asked, gesturing to our line. "Why are they moving so fast? They're serving three people to the other line's one." The food steward bragged that we were an efficient team who worked well together, but the captain's response? "Tell them to slow down. They're making the other line look bad."
Honestly, I was shocked to hear such stupidity. For someone in charge of custody to want to drag out food service longer than necessary made no sense. It would have made more sense if he had urged the food steward to hurry the other line up. But no, the longer the chow lines took to serve, the longer custody could delay having to open the yard, or so I justfied his crazy instructions.
To be fair, this sort of lazy mentality is problematic among prisoners, too. There are exceptions, like two prisoners in my unit who, despite the fact that they are unpaid volunteers, work hard to keep the bathrooms clean. There are exceptions among staff, too. Nevertheless, I can't help but wonder how much money the government could save, both from the over $2 billion corrections budget and from other state agencies, if "state work" meant high efficiency and good quality rather than the bureaucratic wastefulness it's known for now.
I know...hoping we can eliminate government waste is like wishfully thinking that we can eradicate crime. It's not going to happen. But, we can still work to improve...if we can stop standing around talking about it and actually start working to get things done. As the saying goes in prison, "Don't talk about it; be about it."
Monday, February 3, 2020
When Is It Okay to Send Prisoners Money?
When a person you love is in prison, it's sometimes difficult how to best help that prisoner. Let's be honest, a lot of us prisoners are locked up because of bad choices we made. For many, simply getting locked up does not stop the string of poor choices. Too often those choices continue in prison, even if in different ways. So, how can family and friends help incarcerated loved ones without enabling bad behavior?
One of the biggest areas of question surrounds money. When is it okay to send prisoners money or food packages (in Michigan we use Access Securepak) without enabling behavior that is counterproductive to a prisoner's rehabilitation? I thought it might be helpful to know when making these decisions what prisoners need money for.
Michigan (each state is different) issues prisoners clothing. This includes 3 pairs of socks, 9 underwear, 3 sets of blues, 2 t-shirts, one pair of "oxford" shoes, and a coat. Some prisoners purchase additional socks and t-shirts, and tennis shoes are a must for walking, running, or working out. Prisoners must also pay for over the counter medications, like Tylenol, allergy meds, acid reflux meds, and cough drops. Medical visits require a $5 co-pay, and prisoners must pay for glasses.
Additionally, prisoners must purchase their own hygiene items, like soap, shampoo, toothpaste/brush, lotion, and deodorant, and pay for a TV, electric shavers (razors are not allowed), and trimmers, as well as batteries to operate them. A haircut, other than a buzz cut, requires payment, and legal photocopies and postage cost money. Envelopes, stamps, and writing pads/pens, Jpay stamps, or phone calls all cost money. Besides these necessities, prisoners also purchase coffee, snacks, and other food items from the prison store. These food items are often used as supplements to or replacements for the food served in the chow hall.
Most prisoners who have jobs (not all do) make around $15-30 per month. Prisoners earning a GED make around $9 per month. As you can tell, this money does not go very far. Prisoners who are blessed with support from the outside can live a little "nicer" in prison, but there are dangers to consider.
When your incarcerated loved one asks you to send money or securepaks to other prisoners (or their family), it's good to ask questions. This tactic is sometimes used to support a drug or gambling habit. It might also be used to pay someone who is extorting the prisoner to keep them "safe." We are in prison because of our crimes, so if your family is struggling financially, the prisoner should make sacrifices too. The best way to approach whether or not to send your incarcerated loved one money is to communicate with them. Ask why it's needed or how it will be used. Offer to put money on the phone so he doesn't have to pay for that. If your gut tells you something is wrong, listen to your gut.
Sending your imprisoned loved one money or gifts should be a blessing, not something you should have to worry about. So, use this as an opportunity to ask questions, encourage good behavior, and to deepen your relationship.
To send Michigan prisoners money or add money to your phone account, visit www.connectnetwork.com. To send quarterly food/hygiene packages (great for prisoners with restitution debt), visit www.michiganpackages.com.
One of the biggest areas of question surrounds money. When is it okay to send prisoners money or food packages (in Michigan we use Access Securepak) without enabling behavior that is counterproductive to a prisoner's rehabilitation? I thought it might be helpful to know when making these decisions what prisoners need money for.
Michigan (each state is different) issues prisoners clothing. This includes 3 pairs of socks, 9 underwear, 3 sets of blues, 2 t-shirts, one pair of "oxford" shoes, and a coat. Some prisoners purchase additional socks and t-shirts, and tennis shoes are a must for walking, running, or working out. Prisoners must also pay for over the counter medications, like Tylenol, allergy meds, acid reflux meds, and cough drops. Medical visits require a $5 co-pay, and prisoners must pay for glasses.
Additionally, prisoners must purchase their own hygiene items, like soap, shampoo, toothpaste/brush, lotion, and deodorant, and pay for a TV, electric shavers (razors are not allowed), and trimmers, as well as batteries to operate them. A haircut, other than a buzz cut, requires payment, and legal photocopies and postage cost money. Envelopes, stamps, and writing pads/pens, Jpay stamps, or phone calls all cost money. Besides these necessities, prisoners also purchase coffee, snacks, and other food items from the prison store. These food items are often used as supplements to or replacements for the food served in the chow hall.
Most prisoners who have jobs (not all do) make around $15-30 per month. Prisoners earning a GED make around $9 per month. As you can tell, this money does not go very far. Prisoners who are blessed with support from the outside can live a little "nicer" in prison, but there are dangers to consider.
When your incarcerated loved one asks you to send money or securepaks to other prisoners (or their family), it's good to ask questions. This tactic is sometimes used to support a drug or gambling habit. It might also be used to pay someone who is extorting the prisoner to keep them "safe." We are in prison because of our crimes, so if your family is struggling financially, the prisoner should make sacrifices too. The best way to approach whether or not to send your incarcerated loved one money is to communicate with them. Ask why it's needed or how it will be used. Offer to put money on the phone so he doesn't have to pay for that. If your gut tells you something is wrong, listen to your gut.
Sending your imprisoned loved one money or gifts should be a blessing, not something you should have to worry about. So, use this as an opportunity to ask questions, encourage good behavior, and to deepen your relationship.
To send Michigan prisoners money or add money to your phone account, visit www.connectnetwork.com. To send quarterly food/hygiene packages (great for prisoners with restitution debt), visit www.michiganpackages.com.
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