Double Whammy: How Parole and Sentencing Policy Lengthened Prison Stays in Michigan

• In Event: Impact of Sentencing Decisions

Abstract

This project analyzes the length of time served by state prisoners in Michigan from 1988 to 2008 using National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) data. One primary impetus for this analysis is the recent research showing Michigan has the longest prison stays in the USA (Pew Center 2012). A second justification for this research is the substantial impact that time served has upon state prison populations. Third, Michigan has undergone marked parole and sentencing reform over the last several decades. In 1992 the parole board was reshaped and parole approval rates decreased, and in 1999 sentencing guidelines were changed and truth-in-sentencing was also implemented. Though large prison populations are a national-level issue, they are a result of a number of state-specific policies. Therefore, this project strives to concentrate on the state with the longest prison stays and its own unique set of policies that affect this trend.

Author

• Justin Smith, Central Michigan University