Show Your Support for Good Time Legislation

 Although the push to put a good time bill on the ballot this fall failed to garner enough signatures, the good time legislation sponsored by Senator Steve Irwin is still alive. As I've written before, Michigan is one of the few states in the US that has no form of good time credits for prisoners who exhibit good behavior. Michigan's prisoners must do at least 100% of their minimum sentence. 

Michigan Justice Advocacy has been tirelessly working with Senator Irwin and other senators to develop support for Senate Bill 649, which would allow Michigan prisoners to earn time off their sentences with good behavior. Unfortunately, this senate bill has been stuck in committee, held up by the committee chair, Senator Roger Victory. 

If you think Michigan would benefit, both financially from the money it'd save and from a system that rewards rehabilitation, you can express that support in several ways: 

1. Sign Michigan Justice Advocacy's website expressing your support. They share how much support people express with senators who may vote on the bill. Sign up at www.mijustice.org/sign

2. Email Senator Roger Victory at SenRVictory@senate.michigan.gov and urge him to give the good time bill (SB 649) a fair shake. Tell him to put it up for a vote on the Senate floor. 

3. Email your own senator and urge him or her to ask Senator Victory to put SB 649 up for a vote and to support the passage of the bill. 

The return of good time legislation, especially if it is retroactive to those already in prison, would save Michigan millions of dollars a year, both in reduced staffing and the closure of several prisons. Furthermore, from a moral standpoint, good time legislation is a good idea because it promotes self-directed rehabilitation and puts the responsibility on prisoners to change their behavior. Good time legislation supports the development of pro-social behaviors. 

More societal support for good time legislation exists now than in several decades. It's important for Michigan citizens to capitalize on this support and to bring Michigan back into line with the judicial policies of most of the other fifty states. Please, show your support in one or more of the ways listed above.