Michigan Votes

2007 House Bill 4263 (Revise prison time off for good behavior )

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  • Introduced by Rep. George Cushingberry on February 13, 2007, to eliminate provisions establishing prison time requirements for a prisoner subject to disciplinary time imposed by the parole board for major misconduct.
    • Referred to the House Judiciary Committee on February 13, 2007.

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Comments

Introduced by Rep. George Cushingberry on February 13, 2007. New Comment

1) THE BOARD [by Anonymous Citizen on November 1, 2008]
THEY NEED TO START LETTING PEOPLE OUT .SOME OF THEM CAN BE OUT TAKING CARE OF THRER FAMILY AND NOT THE STATE AND TAX PAYERS
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2) who decides? [by Anonymous Citizen on October 9, 2008]
I agree that a person that has done 20+ some years should get a second chance especially if no one was killed or crippled for life. The jusdice system needs to take a look at the person that has severed all that time and see what he has accoplished over the past 20+ years and then decide if he should get that second chance. Especially if the prisoner has taken all the classes required of him and also has been ordained a Minister of God from taking college courses through the mail and getting his certificate as an ordained Minister of God. It isn't fair that they keep messing him over and not even giving him a chance to talk to the parol board. He follows all the steps that they tell him to take and then gets shot down by some sex crazed counselor that thinks he is God and won't recommend him to be seen by the parole board.
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3) Re:especially if no one was killed or crippled for life. [by Anonymous Citizen on October 10, 2008]
I'll bet you would feel differnt if it was your mom that took a bullet in the gut. Oh, that's right, as long as she lived through it then you would be ok with it.
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4) What do you think of state prison system? [by sandie_221 on July 14, 2008]
It's one of the biggest in the country, and there is a fight underway on how to bring the prison system in line with a shrinking state budget.



We would like to hear from you about what you think should or could be done.

Should the system be shrunk to save money?
Do you feel safer with more than 50,000 locked up, or is crime still a concern?
What can be done to curb crime?
Do you feel safe?

Also, is prison funding too much of a political hot potato or is not enough being done to keep people safe?

Your thoughts on the state's prison system:

With the state in financial trouble and concern about criminal behavior, what should Michigan's leaders do with the Department of Corrections?

Coppy and paste the website below into your address bar to give your thoughts.

http://204.176.34.90/edit/prisonparole.asp
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5) Michigan's costly prison system [by sandie_221 on July 13, 2008]
Is Michigan's no-nonsense approach to law and order coming at the expense of taxpayers during already tough economic times?



Many are asking this question while belts get tightened in a state that has been rocked by unemployment, a plummeting housing market and a crumbling automotive industry.

Critics of programs that would allow early releases from prison point to the possibility of increased crime rates, which could spark emotional and fiscal costs on the law-abiding public.

Proponents, however, argue that the longer sentences of nonviolent offenders and technical parole violators are unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer money.

It's a issue that carries the burdensome weight of balancing fiscal responsibility with making sure criminals are properly punished.

Here is the link in todays Oakland Press:

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/071308/loc_20080713315.shtml



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6) Good news to report! [by sandie_221 on May 19, 2008]

Michigan House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes sentencing reform bills

We have good news to report! On May 15, the Michigan House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HB 5329, 5830, 5831 and 6015. These bills would help some people who are serving very harsh mandatory minimum drug sentences for offenses committed before March 1, 2003 (the date previous sentencing reforms went into effect).



Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) and other advocates and groups have been working since 2003 to expand upon the ground-breaking sentencing reforms that made Michigan a national leader in “smart on crime” sentencing policies. Thanks to the unflagging support of FAMM members, we’ve cleared another hurdle in the legislative process that leads to fairer sentencing laws.



In other heartening news, Governor Jennifer Granholm commuted the mandatory sentences of two FAMM members last week, Sally Smith and Ronald Seegar. To read more about Sally Smith, a long-time FAMM member, click here.




Next steps


Now FAMM’s legislative work moves to the Senate, where we will work hard to keep these reforms moving through the legislative process. FAMM will keep you informed about movement of the bills through ealerts, the FAMMGram, and our website, www.famm.org.



Please take time to also thank your Michigan representative for supporting smart and fair sentencing laws!


Explanation of the bills passed on May 15:


HB 5829, sponsored by Rep. Bert Johnson (D-Detroit), affects individuals who are currently incarcerated. This is the main bill in the package. It includes language that:


- Expands the 2003 early parole eligibility provisions for some individuals who are serving consecutive drug sentences for offenses that occurred before March 1, 2003. Sentences for conspiracy and for some substantive offenses committed before March 1, 2003, will be treated as concurrent (served together rather than one after another) for purposes of parole eligibility only (sentences do not change). Please check the bill for details and call Tom Burkert (information below) with questions.
- Makes individuals serving life without parole for second drug offenses eligible for parole after serving 15 years.
- Provides parole eligibility at half of the minimum sentence for each under-50 gram offense committed before March 1, 2003, that is in a string of consecutive drug sentences.
- Provides parole eligibility at 17.5 years for individuals who committed over-650 gram offenses prior to March 1, 2003, and were sentenced to a term of years.
- Provides earlier parole eligibility to some "650 lifers" with a prior low-level drug offense.

HB 5830, sponsored by Rep. Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing):
- Repeals the repeat drug offender law (this does not effect those whose offenses were committed prior to the effective date of the new law.)

HB 5831, sponsored by Rep. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge):
- Makes technical changes to the criminal code to make the probation language consistent with the 2003 reforms.

HB 6015, sponsored by Rep. John Stakoe (R-Highland Township):
- Allows prosecutors to charge individuals who commit repeat drug offenses as habitual felons under the same provisions used for other repeat offenses. (This does not affect those whose offenses occurred before the effective date of the new law.)

PLEASE NOTE: These bills may change in the legislative process. We do not know how long it will take to finally win these reforms – the session ends on December 31, 2008, and action on the bills can happen at any time. We will need everyone's active support to ensure that the bills continue through this process.

Remember – under the proposed reforms affecting individuals serving mandatory minimum drug sentences for offenses committed prior to March 1, 2003, the parole board will determine in each individual case the appropriate time for parole – just as they do now. These proposals do not change sentences, as that would be unconstitutional.

You can find copies of the bills at www.michiganlegislature.org. If you need instructions finding the bills on the website, or would like a copy of the bills mailed to you or have questions, please contact Tom Burkert at tomburkert@famm.org or (517) 487-1261, Mon. – Fri., 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Tom can help you understand the bills, determine what to say in your call, and identify your own legislator. Please leave a message with your name and phone number, if you do not reach him immediately and he will call you back.



Thanks again for your support! Please stay involved and look for more information from FAMM in the near future.
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7) true victim [by Anonymous Citizen on April 13, 2008]
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE GOOD TIME BILL PASSED.
IT WOULD GIVE INCENTIVE FOR THE ALREADY CRUSHED PEOPLE IN PRISON TO WORK TOWARD A GOAL, SOMETHING JUST SITTING IN A CELL ALL DAY CAN'T DO.
I KNOW FIRST HAND THERE ARE INNOCENT PEOPLE IN PRISON.WHEN A DETECTIVE REFUSES TO TAKE EVIDENCE YOU HAVE BAGGED UP, A MANIPULATING PROSECUTOR WANTING A LAW CHANGE, AND AN OVER PAID HALF ASS ATTORNEY THIS DOES HAPPEN!
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8) the true victim [by Anonymous Citizen on April 13, 2008]
was the one you victimized.

everyone here keeps forgetting about THEM and thinking about poor, poor, pitiful YOU.
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9) Answer this! [by sandie_221 on March 7, 2008]
You continue to think that anyone who supports this bill has a loved on in prison? With all that you said....Do you ever plan on answering my question or just continue to do your ranting? Give me some links as to where you get this info you continue to post so all of us who support these bills can read and MAYBE understand where you are coming from. And what is up with this personal hate you have for the G-Ma person?
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10) Contacts [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
915) For those who support this bill: [by sandie_221 on November 27, 2007]
Listed below are the names of legislators serving on the committees directly concerned with corrections issues. The information necessary to contact them by phone, fax, or e-mail is provided. All phone numbers are 517 area code. You may check committee schedules and agendas at

http://www.michiganlegislature.org

http://www.capps-mi.org/Key%20Legislators.htm
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11) Links [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
The Real Cost of Prisons Project seeks to broaden and deepen the organizing capacity of prison/justice activists working to end mass incarceration. The Real Cost of Prisons Project brings together justice activists, artists, justice policy researchers and people directly experiencing the impact of mass incarceration to create popular education materials and other resources which explore the immediate and long-term costs of incarceration on the individual, her/his family, community and the nation.

http://www.realcostofprisons.org/


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12) while they are at it... [by Anonymous Citizen on March 6, 2008]
why don't they figure the REAL COST of the crimes they commit.

the cost to the victims.

the cost to the victim's families.

the cost to society.

AFTER they have PAID THAT COST, THEN let's worry about the criminals.


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13) Who decides? [by Anonymous Citizen on July 4, 2008]
So When is it enough? Does someone deserve to do 20+ years for a crime someone else commited? who Decides?
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14) Information [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
You asked us to post this information and then within SECONDS you once again start with your negitive responses. There is no way you took ANY time to read any of it. Once again proff that you only want to pick on and argue with other members. You must be so proud of yourself!
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15) it's not 'picking on' anyone [by Anonymous Citizen on March 6, 2008]
to ask that a group look at BOTH SIDES OF AN ISSUE.

obviously you are an inmate lover. i am not.

i have to face the REAL COST OF CRIME daily.

g-ma, as a nurse, should have faced that real cost daily as well. but she STILL chooses to be an inmate lover.

she chooses to remain blind to the REAL COST OF CRIME. the lives lost. the injuries. the shattered lives of each and every victim. some who never recover. some who are victimized over and over. the shattered lives of the loved ones of the victims, who have to watch as the victim suffers.

each and every criminal in jail has shattered at least one life, some have decided to shatter many. some may number in the thousands.

yet, you have no compassion for those victims. they are just a statistic to you. a number you can ignore. it's only when you ignore the victim that you can have that kind of love for the inmate.

ask your LOVED ONE if he ever thought about what he was doing to his victim. he will invariably tell you no.

ask your LOVED ONE if he is sorry for what he did to his victim. he will tell you yes, because that's what you want to hear. in other words, he will lie.

ask your LOVED ONE to stop deciding to commit crime, to stop victimizing other people. he will tell you he will do it. then he will decide to commit his crimes again.

you tell your LOVED ONE to stop selling drugs in our schools. to stop killing our kids. to stop stealing. to stop robbing. to stop raping. to stop killing. to stop breaking into our homes.

in other words, tell them to stop PICKING ON US and we will stop PICKING ON THEM.

don't ask us to release them early. they don't deserve it.
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16) Assume? [by sandie_221 on March 7, 2008]
You continue to think that anyone who supports this bill has a loved on in prison? With all that you said....Do you ever plan on answering my question or just continue to do your ranting? Give me some links as to where you get this info you continue to post so all of us who support these bills can read and MAYBE understand where you are coming from. And what is up with this personal hate you have for the G-Ma person?
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17) sandi.... [by Anonymous Citizen on March 7, 2008]
do you know how to GOOGLE?

try it.

let me know how that works for you.

look up prison spending... and cost per inmate.

you will see that michigan is the tenth highest in per inmate per day spending, with texas one of the lowest.

texas pays for more capital trials than any other state, and does it for $18.00 a day per inmate. why can't we?
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18) Google [by sandie_221 on March 7, 2008]
I have read all of it and you are right! It is a shame! Is there a bill that covers this issue? We should contact our legislators about it. My question still stands though...Why do you continue to be so mean to people who support THIS bill?

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19) mean? who's mean??? [by Anonymous Citizen on March 7, 2008]
i simply tell the truth.

i'm not the one calling people who oppose her names.

i'm not the one telling people who oppose her to leave.

i'm not the one who has no clue why she supports this bill other than to release inmates.

i'm not the one who is factually challenged, ignorant of the REAL issues at stake here.

if you call speaking the truth being mean, then you will lie to spare someone's feelings.

i will not.
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20) Confused [by Anonymous Citizen on March 7, 2008]
Maybe I am confusing you with the Anonymous Citizen from bill 4262? You speak the same and YOU brought up G-Ma who speaks on that bill.If I am then I am sorry,If it is you then you need to go back and look at how many times you have said horrible things to others and the names you have called them.I dont understand why we cant all post our thoughts on these bill and speak as to why or why not we support these bills without being negitive to one another.With that being said....what can I do to help you get the legislator to begin to address the issues you speak of?
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21) hey confused... [by Anonymous Citizen on March 7, 2008]
do you mean the same SWEET LITTLE OLD G-MA who said this???

"G-Ma [by Anonymous Citizen on March 5, 2008]
We don't want to listen to you. why don't you go away, and start a site for anyone that wants to listen to you."

now, even YOU have to admit that is narrow minded.



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22) i'm not sure... [by Anonymous Citizen on March 7, 2008]
what CAN you do?

if you see that changing the parole boards will help empty the prisons of the INNOCENT inmates that the supporters if this bill INSIST are there, then by all means, if you have the power to persuade the legislators, do it.

i for one am curious as to how a JUST SOCIETY allows such travesties to exist.

if you see that significant savings could be found by simply CHARGING OURSELVES LESS per inmate per day, then by all means, if you have to power to persuade the legislators, do it.

i for one am curious as to how a RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY allows such travesties to exist.

i am also curious as to what we spend all that money on that forty other states have found away to do without. perhaps we are far too generous with our taxpayer's money. perhaps we are far too 'giving' to those we should be punishing.

i'm also curious as to the net benefit of releasing inmates early. they SEEM to have no place else to go. they didn't have FAMILY SUPPORT BEFORE they went into prison, what makes you think that they will suddenly sprout it now?

how much will it cost us to deal with those we release? how much in extra enforcement? how much in 'special programs' to bring them 'back up to speed in society'? how many billions to drag them by the hand (kicking and screaming) onto the straight and narrow?

nary a thought to these things did the supporters of this bill give.

prisons aren't meant to rehabilitate, they are meant to punish. perhaps the liberals could build a few institutions with their own money that would accomplish these goals. but in two hundred years, they haven't so far. they have wasted a lot of air TALKING ABOUT IT, but have DONE NOTHING.

so, sir, if you can influence our legislature to DO THE RIGHT THING... by all means, DO IT.




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23) Who are the victims [by Anonymous Citizen on March 6, 2008]
in a case of OUILs? When the person did not ever get into an accident and never injured himself or others? There are many of these people in our prisons today that are alcoholics but did not hurt anyone else by committing their crime. Why not get these people the help they need to overcome their addiction? You think everyone is prison is guilty of a violent crime therefore they should be locked up at your expense for the rest of their lives. You tell others to look at the BIG picture, yet you choose to not look at it yourself.
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24) Information [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
You asked us to post this information and then within SECONDS you once again start with your negitive responses. There is no way you took ANY time to read any of it. Once again proff that you only want to pick on and argue with other members. You must be so proud of yourself!
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25) Hang em [by Anonymous Citizen on March 6, 2008]
all!
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26) Links [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
The Real Cost of Prisons Project seeks to broaden and deepen the organizing capacity of prison/justice activists working to end mass incarceration. The Real Cost of Prisons Project brings together justice activists, artists, justice policy researchers and people directly experiencing the impact of mass incarceration to create popular education materials and other resources which explore the immediate and long-term costs of incarceration on the individual, her/his family, community and the nation.

http://www.realcostofprisons.org/


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27) I agree with Anonymous Citizen [by Anonymous Citizen on February 29, 2008]
If we had more people like Mr. Cushionberry on our legislative committee's, Michigan would not be in the state of financial disaster it is. Allowing prisoners who have served their minimum time and do not pose a threat to society should be released when their first parole comes up and not automatically get a "flop" just to keep them in the DOC for monetary purposes. Those who are on the Parole Board "know" before they even sit before the inmate whether they will or will not be granted their parole. they simply go through the motions of doing what they have to do to say they performed their duties as the "Parole Board" and say their decision to flop the inmate was in the best interest of society. There are so many men and woman in level one facilities who have been flopped and flopped again. They did not murder anyone, they are in fact not a threat to society at all and they never were. They at one time made a bad life choice which put them into the DOC "system," and no matter how good of a inmate they are, they are ticket free, have met all of their release criteria, have shown respect to those who work within The DOC system and other inmates, and have a good support system upon their release should be "RELEASED!" What is that telling the inmate when they are denied parole, especially when they have been the "model inmate?"
Yes, there are some inmates who can be very decieving. But this is where the Parole Board should use their mental abilities and really work for their pay. I find it very upsetting when the parole board will grant a violent offender, who is and probably has been a threat to society for a long time gets granted their parole when a level one non-violent, non-threat to society inmate gets flopped. Most of us who feel that the "Good Time Bill" should be passed, must continue to support people like Mr. Cushionberry. He is using his mental capabilities and common sense that God gave him. We must all continue to stand behind him and pray that God will continue to be with him, for what he is doing is right. Kathy
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28) this 'good time bill' will [by Anonymous Citizen on February 29, 2008]
not force the parole board to do anything but consider 'good time credits'. which means nothing.

it will not stop them from 'flopping' anyone who has good time credits.

what this state needs, and even you say it does, is PAROLE BOARD REFORM.

THIS bill doesn't provide it. yet you refuse to support OTHER bills that DO.

there is even one bill that TRIED to require the parole board to put down IN WRITING the reason an inmate was 'flopped'. it also gave penalties if the inmate was 'flopped' for no reason.

THAT bill is never mentioned. why?

it doesn't release inmates.
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29) Post Info [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
So....why dont you post this info for all of us to see?
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30) Information [by Anonymous Citizen on March 5, 2008]
I would like more info on these bills you speak about.
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31) I would like more info.... [by sandie_221 on March 6, 2008]
Can you answer this question....I am waiting...Post some info.
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32) Conclusion [by sandie_221 on January 27, 2008]

Conclusion [by sandie_221 on January 27, 2008]
Overall, due to labor intensiveness, incarceration is an expensive program. Differences in employee costs are likely to be the primary
reason that Michigan's incarceration costs differ from those of other states. Whether this means they have a different number of
employees due to different proportions of lower-security inmates, inmate-to-employee ratios, or facility layouts, or various employee costs
due to different regional, contractual, or statutory requirements, it is difficult to provide a simple explanation of overall discrepancies.

***The most effective way to reduce incarceration costs significantly is to have fewer prisoners.***

This would reduce the number of employees,
which would lower the base from which employee costs grow. Additionally, fuel, utility, food, and medical costs would be reduced. If the
number of employees or the amount of employee salaries or fringe benefits were reduced, employee cost growth would start from a lower
base, but there would be no reduction in other incarceration costs. Conversely, if only nonemployee-related incarceration costs were
reduced, the reductions would address only what is already less than a quarter of the prison budget. For example, a 10% cut to
nonemployee-related incarceration costs would result in less than a 2.5% cut to incarceration costs. Incarcerating fewer prisoners can be
achieved by policies that reduce crime, reduce prison sentences, reduce sentence lengths, and/or increase the parole rate. In the long 19
run, however, only policies that have the effect of reducing crime will reduce the budget of the MDOC and other governmental criminal
justice agencies, and have a positive financial impact on the State as a whole.

http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Issues/IncarcerationCosts/IncarcerationCosts.pdf
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33) Annonymous Citizen [by Anonymous Citizen on January 7, 2008]
Thank God for a man like Cushionberry that is using the brain God gave him to try to see this
through. Wishing you well brother to set these
persons free especially if they are not a harm
to our fellow man. Maybe they were put there by
a very bitter person and had to prove a point, but
in the long run it is not fair to the tax payers.
The public should have n o fear of persons as such.

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34) Annonymous Citizen [by Anonymous Citizen on January 7, 2008]
Thank God for a man like Cushionberry that is using the brain God gave him to try to see this
through. Wishing you well brother to set these
persons free especially if they are not a harm
to our fellow man. Maybe they were put there by
a very bitter person and had to prove a point, but
in the long run it is not fair to the tax payers.
The public should have n o fear of persons as such.

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35) I read the Bill [by Anita7 on January 7, 2008]
One way the state could save money and let certain prisioners out is to put a tether on them, which they would have to pay for. This would let them to at least get a job, part time or full time, there could be group meetings that is required like the AAA has. As to deciding who gets early release it can't be black or white there is a grey area, such as their behavior since their arrest and incarceration, they should at least serve 3 years of the applied sentence, other incarcerations should be looked at and I'm sure there are other things I haven't thought of. I agree not all of them are dangerous to society. We really need to give some of them a chance, one only, there are no second chances.
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36) get rid of the parole board [by Anonymous Citizen on January 13, 2008]
they should also get rid of parole board they keep flopping when there mim is up if they go with no point then should be releast this would cut money with no parole board.
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37) Does any one know ? [by Anonymous Citizen on December 20, 2007]
Does any one know exactly where this bill is in the house?
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38) It Appears [by Anonymous Citizen on December 20, 2007]

This bill is sitting in the House Judiciary Committee.
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39) Let me be the 1st to talk about the TOPIC! [by Anonymous Citizen on October 2, 2007]
Not a SINGLE POST in this 70+ long thread has a-one of you folks discussing the topic at hand....the purpose of Cushinberry's Bill.

For those who claim to support it, it is NOT primarily a bill to reduce sentences....that is not it's intent, per se. All it does is take us back a mere decade re: sentencing in this state (MI). If you ahve a loved one in the system, I hate to break this to you but they do not MATTER one iota in the argument that needs to be presented on this issue. You need it to pass cuz it makes sense, not cuz you can see your prescious angel of a sonny-boy a few months/years earlier.

For those claiming to be AGAINST the Bill, it is NOT a bill to reduce sentences, but rather a fiscal initiative. There have been plenty of Republicans AND Democrats in office, you F***heads who try to make this a POLITICAL issue (which it could not be farther from) who have kept TIS alive and well since 2003, when FEDERAL FUNDS ENDED to support it. THAT, my friends, is the lone issue--a FISCAL one.

Cushingberry is only trying to get legislators to respond to the same question that virtually every other state in the union has addressed as he suggests, which is to eliminate TIS for FISCAL purposes. Quick history: Truth In Sentencing was a FEDERALLY-FUNDED program in the 90's that gave any state funding (purportedly used to build more prisons), in teh MILLIONS of dollars each year.

In 2003 the well ran dry--that is, the Feds decided 'nope, we are done funding that program, so do what you will re: TIS'. What did this mean? It meant that the STATE was now left to foot the bill to maintain prisoners for the ENTIRE length of the mandatory minimum, whereas before they had 'good time', so one would serve approximately 85% of their sentence.

Most--that is, virtually ALL states--responded by going back in time, rather than footing this new budget disaster. After all, it only made sense. They realized two things: 1) The streets weren't torn to shreds by rampant criminals running amok wiht a 15% reduction in sentences as in the early 90's (a truly STUPID argument by those against this bill), and 2) we aren't talking small potatoes...the feds were giving Michigan about $18 MILLION/year for the program!

Now it seems THAT was supposed to land in the taxpayers' laps? Well, Republicans and Democrats alike to date have said YES! Amazing....in this week's momentary state shutdown due to fiscal difficulties, we do things like raise income taxes, etc., but have not taken the simple step that Cushingberry's initiative solves.

For those against this Bill I ask the simple question: If your boss said you could take turns buying donuts for work, and provided you the money, surely you'd participate. Then one day the boss says 'we aren't paying for donuts'....are you and your co-workers taking money out of YOUR pocket to continue something you didn't create to begin with? It's absurd--but I expect nothing less in cyberspace, so go ahead, say YES and explain yourself. This Bill should get support and pass NOT because of it's effect on inmates, but its effect on us NON-inmates that matters. You would have thought this obvious, but no one seems to understand the issue, so now I've laid it out for you.

PB


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40) dear pb [by Anonymous Citizen on October 2, 2007]
you have struck on two points, the first one you got right, it's not about loved ones in prison.

the second one you got wrong. it IS about shortening sentences.

the REAL solution is lowering the amazingly high PER INMATE PER DAY FEE that the state charges itself.

this could be done without sacrificing ANY inmate services or any security, as other states are presently doing MORE with less per day.

if you REALLY wish to SAVE MONEY, then LOWER THE PER INMATE PER DAY FEE. it is currently over one hundred dollars per inmate per day, some states charge as little as eighteen.

THAT'S the opposition we have to this bill. it allows the HUGE AMOUNT OF CORRUPTION TO CONTINUE, and it SETS INMATES FREE EARLY.

that's two strikes against it right there. lowering the per inmate per day fee is the only REAL SOLUTION to the problem of high prison costs.
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41) good time [by Anonymous Citizen on September 25, 2007]
I believe good time or good behavior should come back Iknow that would help the state of mi.
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42) how would letting [by Anonymous Citizen on September 25, 2007]
felons out of jail early help the state?

and before you say 'it would cost less', think about how much less it would have cost us if the felon decided not to violate the law.
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43) Naive [by Anonymous Citizen on October 28, 2007]
I hate to say it, but not all people in prison are horrible people. And early release on some of these people WOULD NOT harm citizens. People are naive to this fact. Everyone in prison has their own story. And unless and until you have someone you love in the prison system, you will not know how truly horrible it is for the people that are left behind. Again my point is, early release of some prisoners would definitely help the economy and the budget issues this state faces, and furthermore, not harm the citizens. Everyone thinks, oh, they are in prison, they are scum, who cares about them. That is not always the case.
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44) Crazy.... [by Anonymous Citizen on September 6, 2007]
I think as an American, it is a horrible idea that we just give up on people we don't know the stories behind. Everyone makes mistakes, it does not excuse anyone from committing a crime, however, have some insight and empathy into what led that youth or adult to that point.
I worked in a juveniled facility, you take a youth who has robbed and sold drugs, you read his history, you get to know him, you understand wow, mom had him out selling drugs to feed the family when he was 9, mom was addicted to drugs, dad was incarcerated, twin sisters were raped and murdered when he was 10, there was no food, no money and most importantly, no love, support, or resources. It is so easy for those of us with resources, love, money, to condemn. Put yourself in the place of another, not as you, conditioned to be who you are because you grew up a certain way with certain people and things, but as this child, with nothing, and no one.
If we continue to incarcerated and put one big bandage on every wound, this is the result of what we will have, a cycle of reoffending because we are not offering the social support or tools to create a change. Now we get into jobs, please let me know how you are at risk to hire someone who was incarcerated for driking and driving if he is not driving at the job?
I believe in the common goodness of people, but I am not so jaded or socially unaware that I close my eyes to the everyday injustices of society and one's Charles Darwin belief in the survial of the fittest! Were you born the fittest, or were you born into something that helped you get that way? If we spent more time educating parents and youth, put more money into social programs to divert these conduct disorder individuals in a different direction, giving them someone to believe in them, giving them someone to help and guide them, maybe then we will begin to create a better world for ourselves and our children. Perhaps we are not doing this to our children personally, but to sit back and not say anything, to not act when the terms of our society is allowing our own children to be neglected, abused, and brought up without much hope, we are as worthy of the blame as anyone else if not more, because children are just a product of nature and nuture, we are suppose to know better, so why don't we?
Give people jobs, give people a sense of self and self worth, give knowledge and put more into education and social programs that warehouses that hold people like animals with no real chance for change; you can't lock someone up just to keep them safe from themselves and to keep society safe and then release them expecting anything but a more antisocial personality than before. I find it amazing how we are suppose to be this brilliant country and this great place of freedom and knowledge, and something such as our prison system is in such disarray and I know I could fix it but the big shots with all the money and power don't see it, or do they just not care? It is afterall, a big way to get state dollars, locking people up....
Condemn, none of us are too far removed or without sin to do such a thing, yet we do. Punishment is the time served, lets not punish anymore by loss of ones ability to care for themselves or their families.
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45) Okay [by Anonymous Citizen on September 7, 2007]
"you take a youth who has robbed and sold drugs, you read his history,"

Like the one that just killed all those women in Lansing?

"I believe in the common goodness of people"

Do you also believe evil exists?

"Give people jobs"

If they have saleable skills and want one they can find one.

"give people a sense of self and self worth"

You can't give this, you have to earn it, do something well and self esteem will come.

"put more money into social programs"

We already spend more on your social programs than anything else. How much of my money will be enough for you??

"driking and driving"

Shouldn't be a jailable offense unless you harm someone or their property.

"put more into education"

Again, how much is enough for you. We keep pouring money down that black hole. You can't teach someone who doesn't want to learn.

"none of us are too far removed or without sin"

True but commiting a robbery is a choice. It means that you would rather take someones money than get a job and earn your own. Most folks have a moral compass that stops them from deciding to steal from other folks.
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46) re: crazy. [by Anonymous Citizen on September 6, 2007]
every crime is a CHOICE.

i've known personally people who have come from JUST THAT SITUATION and NEVER COMMITTED A CRIME. THEY didn't sell drugs. they CHOSE NOT TO.

there are too many options open to people today instead of turning to crime. too many 'social programs' available, too many people willing to help.

you blame the crime on the circumstances. if that were the case, everyone in a ghetto or a project would be criminals. while that may seem to be so, i know for a fact that it isn't.

grow up and hold the criminal responsible for his crimes.


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47) who said I had a loved one locked up [by Anonymous Citizen on August 31, 2007]
For you information I do not have a loved one locked up. I am a missionary that donates my time to many different organizations and the prisons happen to be one of them. When I said to pray that you never walk in the shoes of a family member that has a loved one locked up you referred to yourself being able to make the right decisions. I talk with family members that are the aunt, uncle, grandparents, step parent and so on. So how do you know that your life might not be effected by this someday. All I am saying is the family members of the prisoners do not deserve to be talked to and treated the way some of the people that post comments on this site treat them.
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48) i have relatives in prison. [by Anonymous Citizen on August 31, 2007]
and they DO deserve whatever they get.

i don't speak as an 'outsider'. i have lived the life. i have learned the lessons of the folly of thinking that my relative can be 'saved' if we coddle him. he can't.

he is a three time loser who almost got his parent's home taken by the feds when they found him cutting the three kilos of cocaine at his mother's table while she was out shopping.

imagine my aunt's reaction to being told that she may lose her house because her son was STUPID.

he was already on parole for drugs, and he KNEW he was due for a visit from his P.O. he got violated on the spot and is now doing ten to twenty for felony drug possesion.

his mother, my aunt, died while he was in jail. i personally escorted him to his mother's funeral. he got busted for trying to get drugs mailed to him in prison, and he is facing another three years for it. did he LEARN anything? NO.

will releasing him do any good? NO.

is he VOILENT? NO.

but you want to get him released, why?
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49) Who said I want to see him released [by Anonymous Citizen on September 1, 2007]
Like you said he is a three time loser that can not even follow the rules while he is in prison. If good time is brought back he would earn 5 days a month for good behavior. It sounds like he would not be effected by this because he does not have good behavior. So because he can't follow the rules and does not learn his lesson does that mean that those that can behave and follow the rules should lose the chance to earn time off for good behavior. I do agree that the time off for good behavior should only be offered to first time offenders. My way of thinking is that if they get out and do something to end up back in prison they know exactly what they are facing and what prison is all about so they should serve the full minimum sentence. However for those that are there for the first time they should be able to earn time off for good behavior and given a second chance. I do strongly support the three strikes your out bill. So in the case of your loved one I agree with you. He should not be released!!
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50) So what do you suggest [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
The goverment does not pay for these "cushy" places!! We do!! So what is the answer to the problem. All I read on this site from the people that oppose this bill is why we should keep the prisoner locked up as long as possible. Ok if that is what you want then give some ideas as to how we are going to finance this. The state in case you have not noticed is in serious financial trouble. If we are going to keep TIS then how are we going to pay for building more prisons and employing more correctional officers? You want to know how? By raising our taxes that is how. So you oppose bringing back good time then do not complain when half our income goes to state taxes to keep these people locked up.
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51) THINK PEOPLE THINK!! [by Anonymous Citizen on August 16, 2007]
I support early release of CERTAIN prisoners. There are 2 types of people. Ones who get caught and ones who dont. EVERYONE in this world has done something wrong and the bible says For ALL have sinned. I believe the problem is when some of these inmates get out our cities are harsh on them, limiting their ability to get good jobs and financial assistance so what are they to do?? If we kick those who try to stand up then WE are MOCKING those who need our help. Just because someone is in jail does not make them a horrible person. They are people who arent murders or pervs in jail! No matter what, these people have kids,wives,parents,husbands who love them and NEED them just like your family needs you. It's time we show some love , mercy and compassion to the ones who need it just like OUR Lord does for us and I honestly can say there have been many times when I didnt deserve it but I thank God that I recieved it. I am CONVINCED that if one man can ruin a country the ONE MAN can change it for the better! Next time we want to bash anyone else look at your kids or spouse or brother or sister and ask yourself what if this was MY kid,spouse ect..in jail? Or worse think back to when you have done something wrong and could have been sent to jail and imagine if YOU were the in jail while the world turned on you! I have lived long enough to see that hatred and lack of compassion DO NOT work. It's time for a change! Think about it .... there are many people in jail serving someone eles time out of love or mercy.who knows maybe someone saved your butt as a kid a few times when you should have gotten what YOU deserved. I pray for everyone one and remember LOVE YOUR ENEMIES JUST AS GOD LOVES YOU HE is the ONLY one who can serve revenge. Take Care and God Bless!
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52) you know... [by crazycajun on August 17, 2007]
i can't think back on ONE SINGLE TIME when i did something that would have sent me to jail. but my daughter did.

the judge asked me what i reccomended that he give my daughter, a good student and a good kid. i told him that i reccomended the maximum.

she got it. no parole, no good time. she hasn't done it since. she is married with one child and another on the way.

all that bad decision making stopped right then and there. she became one of the FEW who did not reoffend, as opposed to one of the MANY who do.

i attribute this to obtaining the maximum sentence THE FIRST TIME, and having to carry out EVERY SINGLE DAY OF IT.

i don't believe that shortening that sentence would have done her any good, and now, looking back on it, neither does she.

i've spent seven years in law enforcement, and quite a few years as a reserve officer, i've seen this work countless times. every time we try to be 'merciful' we get screwed.

my daughter understands that her punishment for re-offending will be swift, harsh, and certain.

if we grant them good time, criminals will not be so sure of that.

you are right, there MAY be those who don't deserve to be in jail, but i ask, how did they get there in the first place?

are the judges THAT STUPID that they give innefective punishments to those that don't deserve them? or are their HANDS TIED by a legislature that tried to FIX A PROBLEM without knowing anything about it?

once again, FEEL GOOD LEGISLATION has bitten the people of michigan on the ass. you people seem to be getting rather famous for this type of behavior.

i'm surprised you didn't see this coming. i'm surprised SOMEBODY didn't see this coming.

so, what are you going to do about it?

the law, as it stands now, would grant everybody good time, which is why most of the people are against it.

why not try to RE-WRITE IT and clean some of that nonsense up?
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53) first of all [by Anonymous Citizen on August 21, 2007]
Good it worked for your daughter, but there are many other states where people serve the max and still reoffend so your little theory is just that theory.
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54) but that state doesn't [by Anonymous Citizen on August 21, 2007]
have a 50% recidivism rate. this one DOES.

so YOUR theory doesn't really work. at least mine does SOMETIMES.

you can't change ever inmate, but you change the ones you can. releasing them early doesn't do anything but release them early. it serves no other purpose, such as REHABILITATION or REPENTANCE.

if you think that it does, i'd be glad to listen to YOUR THEORIES on how that works. you can't rehabilitate them if you let them go early.
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55) I will give you my theories [by Anonymous Citizen on September 1, 2007]
You say we can not give them rehab if we let them out early. Well we can't give them rehab if we keep them locked up because the state has no money for those programs any longer. I would like to know what your daughters maximum was that you were so willing to see her serve. In Michigan it all depends on the county that the crime is committed in on how much time they get.
All counties should have to follow the guidelines that are set for the crime. That is why we have guidelines. Certain counties will sentence the prisoner way above the minimum guideline while other counties will sentence way below the guidelines. I asked a prosecuter from Monroe county why a prisoner was given 4 years above the minimum guideine when the same crime in Wayne county received 2 years under the guideline. He told me they wanted to send the message to criminals not to commit a crime in there county. Excuse me but do we all not live in Michigan. Should we all not work together to lower crimes in the state not just in our own counties. The parole officer does alot of work looking into the criminals back ground, previous record, and anything else that will add points on when she figures out the guidelines that the prisoner should be sentenced to. If the judge just takes it upon himself to sentence that person to what he would like and does not follow the guidelines then why have them.
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56) my daughter's maximum [by crazycajun on September 1, 2007]
was ten years in a state institution for women, in the quaint little town of st. gabriel, louisiana, at hard labor with no option for early release.

in other words, TEN YEARS FLAT.

my daughter got individualized sentencing, she served seven years, with supervised parole, including scheduled and random drug tests that extend till today.

my daughter had to provide one of those 'drug test samples' in front of a classroom full of high school seniors during math class. they, parole drug enforcement, walked into the classroom and handed her a cup, she handed back a sample. right then and there, in full view of her 'peers'.

yes, it was embarassing, but it served the purpose. she never offended again.

let me tell you, before you write back about 'abuse of her rights' and all that other stuff, that at the time, the person she was supposed to have supplied drugs to was 'hanging' in a coma, if the person died, the sentence would have automatically changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

that's REAL life, not 'JUVENILE LIFE'.

she was MORE THAN WILLING to cooperate with the authorities at that point to keep from being sent back to st. gabriel for the rest of her life.

she WAS allowed to finish high school on the outside, and she has since gotten two degrees. so yes, she DID get education while in jail. a jail, by the way that only charges the citizens of the state of louisiana $18.00 a day. not $109.35.

just for your information, the 'informer' in this case later admitted to giving the coma victim the 'bad batch' of crystal meth that put him in the coma.

now it's HIS turn to await the life sentence when the victim dies.
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57) you keep forgetting that [by Anonymous Citizen on September 1, 2007]
judges have JUDICIAL DISCRETION. that is the ability to sentence at will, not according to guidelines.

the parole board also has a very similar discretion, to release or not at will, not according to guidelines.

believe it or not, this allows them to help assure that justice is done in every individual case.

you are looking at these cases in a very 'institutionalized' manner. as a group. you should be looking at individual cases as they come up, the way the judges and the parole board have to look at them.

you cannot compare what one criminal got for a particular sentence to what another criminal got for a particular sentence, to do so is folly. each was treated like an individual, with the particulars of the individual taken into consideration.

you may not think it's true, and it may not happen in every case, but in the vast majority of cases, justice is done. the proper sentence is given for the proper inmate for the proper crime. it may not make sense to you, only comparing it to 'what other inmates get for the same crime', but it makes perfect sense when you look at all the facts as the judge and the parole board see them.

this state has no money for rehabilitation because it is too busy spending vast sums of money putting band-aids on gushing wounds.

there are too many 'fingers in the pot', too many people deciding how to spend what little money there is. there are no legislators interested in ACTUALLY SAVING MONEY, they are all interested in being perceived as having DONE SOMETHING.

just like the fact that you can't teach a 'trust fund baby' to be frugal without taking away the trust fund, you can't teach a legislature to be frugal by allowing them to set the 'per inmate per day' fee as high as they wish.

the dollar figure they have chosen is not as high as it is by accident, but it has been horribly inflated by greed, corruption, and just plain stupidity. i'm sure that when you check how the money is spent, and i have, that you will find many things that can and should be cut.

now, stop being 'jealous' of what people get, and start looking at whether or not ALL the circumstances were taken into consideration with every case of sentencing and parole. if they have, the system is working, if they haven't, the people are allowing their tax money to be misspent.

it's as simple as that.

truth in sentencing is not the bogeyman that you would have us believe that it is. and it's not the root cause of our money problems.

if anything, truth in sentencing has caused us to take a serious look at the spending practices of the state, and has given us an opportunity to 'clean house' and get rid of the big spenders and SOLVE THE PROBLEM of drastically inflated costs.

now, if your true agenda is to release inmates, and NOT to really save money, continue on your current path, you will perpetuate the current inflated costs, as you are ignoring them completely.

however, if your true agenda is to improve the prison system, allowing inmates to actually recieve the services we pay so much for and never get, then let's not look at the 'time given', but the mis-spending habits of the administrators and legislators.

just remember, it's STILL going to cost us $109.35 a day to house them when they offend again if we don't do something about the mis-spending.




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58) this state is in serious [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
financial trouble because of greed, graft, mismanagement, apathy, stupidity, and the unions.

there are other reasons, but these are the biggies. we elect people to 'LEAD', yet we expect(stupidly so) that our elected leaders can ADD AND SUBTRACT.

we expect them to look after OUR interests, as we BELIEVED WHAT THEY SAID, AND VOTED FOR THEM, but they don't.

we expect them to be able to go from whatever job (usually attorney) and be able to smoothly transition into politics. this is, of course, after spending millions of dollars on getting elected.

the problem is, none of them has ever had to make and stick to a budget. none of them has ever been told no when they asked for money.

it's about time we cut off their allowance.
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59) first, demand [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
total accountability, which will lower the PER INMATE PER DAY COST.

this is a figure that is come up with by the legislature to 'COVER EXPENSES'. seeing as those expenses are the 10th highest in the country, i think it's about time we found out what they are.

40 other states do it CHEAPER THAN WE DO. why is that?

it CAN'T BE that the 'system' is stealing our money, it MUST BE that the jails are CUSHY.

it CANNOT BE that there are too many inmates in the jails, as this is, as the name implies, a PER INMATE fee. as this fee is OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS A DAY, there has to be something that the INMATES ARE NOT GETTING THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR.

one state does the SAME THING WE DO FOR $14.00 A DAY.

now, why is that?

once we solve this problem, we won't have to release inmates back out among us ever again.
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60) This is bunk [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
I been in trouble lots of times in my life about 10 years ago I sobered up and keep my nose clean.I have a good job take care of my wife and family god has been extremely good to me. The point is everytime I got out of jail I could find work I lived in dumpy rooming houses, city rescue missions ,and ect.But I made due and finially got my act together society is still surpressing me for who I was but I keep plugging along and go foward not looking at Who I was but who I am these guys can find a break if they look the system does need a major overhaul but it's posssible to work with in the system and play by the rules and get from underneath it I hope they continue to look at this legislation and ones like it I am all for releasing non violent crimnals early get them paying taxes in- stead of being a tax burden.
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61) congratulations!! [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
That is wonderful that you were able to get your act together and turn yourself around. You are the type of person people should listen to because you have been there. In your opinion what could the prison system do different to help these offenders get out and stay out the first time instead of returing to the system over and over again before they learn to make it on the outside. I agree with you about the good time coming back but I also think is should be offered to all inmates except the ones doing life. Especially first time offenders they deserve a second chance to show that they have learned there lesson. Good luck to you and hopefully you can give some good advice to inmates that want to turn there life around but just do not know how to do it.
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62) they NEVER learn [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
to make it on the outside. they only learn new and better ways to return to the INSIDE. or haven't you figured that out yet?
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63) you know... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
if those NON VIOLENT OFFENDERS would just have become PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS like you, instead of NON VIOLENT OFFENDERS, they wouldn't BE a tax burden.
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64) Why do former prisoners return to jail [by Anonymous Citizen on August 5, 2007]
Jobs are not readily available for anyone in Michigan let alone someone who has served time in jail. They can't find a place to live if they can't get a job. The can't eat if they can't find a job. And the list goes on and on.
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65) well, you have listed [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
three pre-requisites for parole.

if they don't have a job, a place to live, and the ability to put food into their own mouths, they DON'T GET PAROLE.

you never stop to think that THAT is part of the reason so many get 'flopped'.

which honest, law abiding citizens are you going to put out of a job so a criminal can have their job?
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66) I HOPE THE BILL PASSES [by Anonymous Citizen on July 31, 2007]
The BIBLE says you do not bear false judgement on someone unless you have been in all the court proceeding then you have no right to tell this person that there loveone dont care about them because they made a wrong judgement on something it is no are place to to judge them i'am for the bill to pass and for the ones who just sat in here and put bad things on here about other peoples familys well then you need to go to prison and have someone shove there dick up your butt and make you there woman no one needs to go to prison to have to worrie if they are going to be raped or if they are going to have a good meal if the state could cut the money by letting people out of jail then maybe there would be less crimes so people would be able to have better job and suport there love ones then keep the homeless off the street there is so much by letting people out of jail and prison that we can do for the rest of the people so before you judge someone put your self in there place and then see if you fell the same way.
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67) wow. the worlds longest [by Anonymous Citizen on July 31, 2007]
one sentence liberal rant.

full of 'MAYBE' and 'if', but not one punctuation mark.

the Bible also says NOT TO SIN.

if you don't sin, no one can judge you. but you keep FORGETTING THAT PART.


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68) who doesn't sin? [by Anonymous Citizen on August 1, 2007]
i bet you do it on a daily basis. Calling someone a name with the intent of degrading that person is also a sin, but you did it in your post. You can't throw rocks if you live in a glass house buddy.
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69) telling a person [by Anonymous Citizen on August 1, 2007]
to forgive without cause is also a sin. it's called bearing false witness against the lord.

it's one of the things God hates.


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70) I'm glad you think so [by Anonymous Citizen on August 21, 2007]
because with many of these inmates there is a reason to forgive. One of the best things an inmate can do is show progress in attitude and in reforming themselves. They cannot change their decision that led to incarceration all they can do is show rehabilitation and remorse which many DO. So with that "CAUSE" I guess there is no sin in forgiving them. Thank you for proving my point that you are just looking for ANY reason because of your own hatred for the inmate.
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71) with many of these inmates... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
there is cause, they are sorry, they have worked hard to show it by acting the right way while incarcerated, and by doing what was asked of them. Trust me if they don't want to do what the guards say then they won't cause they outnumber them. Judgement on others is also one of those things, as you say, God hates. Try again.
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72) so, why do almost half [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
of them re-offend within a year?

how truely sorry can they be???

not sorry enough.
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73) It is sad [by Anonymous Citizen on November 20, 2007]
It is sad but true that some people will not learn from his or her mistakes but does that mean that every individual in prison should be treated the same exact way. The counselors and correction officers spend everyday with the inmates. They can see if a person is really remorseful, if they take the time to look. I believe that some prisoners should get time off for good behavior. I feel that the non-violent offenders should be out supporting themselves and his or her family! I do not believe the rest of society should be paying for them. The truth is that no two people are alike. One person may only need a slap on the wrist and another may need time in prison to see that their behavior needs to change. I hope the bill passes and I hope the men and women released get the help they need to get back on their feet. It is a difficult time to find a job for a college graduate, like myself, I can only imagine what it is like for men and women with a criminal past!
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74) thats an easy one.... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
to answer. In order to answer it you'll have to take a poll of employers willing to hire someone with a felony on their record, then you tell me.
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75) i know that I'M not [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
going to hire another 'EX-CON' again. the last few i hired almost lost me my business.

it seems that they were not happy just doing the job i paid them for. they felt they must distribute drugs to the children of michigan using my trucks.

they got three of them confiscated, that means i cannot get them back.

now, i hired FIVE EX-CONS, and ALL FIVE COMMITTED MORE CRIMES USING MY BUSINESS AS A FRONT. this happened within WEEKS of being hired.

that's 0-for-5. not a very good record.

do you wonder why nobody wants to hire them?

you are not complaining about a societal problem, you are bitching about a SELF INFLICTED WOUND. these criminals did it to themselves, society just reacted to their stupidity.
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76) stupid [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
sounds like your just a bad judge of character all the way around, whether it be good or bad.
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77) bad judge of character... [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
this from someone who has to go visit a loved one in prison.

bad case of 'POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK'.
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78) most employers don't [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
hire people with college on their resume's either. that is called DISCRIMINATION. it's not always right, but it's their right to do.

it IS their business.

now, if you knew BEFORE you started being a criminal that you couldn't get a job after you started being a criminal, and you continued being a criminal anyway, it doesn't seem to have BOTHERED YOU MUCH, did it? UP UNTIL NOW, that is.

now, you KNEW, OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN that YOU wouldn't be able to get a job as a felon. that SHOULD have given you pause, or DETERRED YOU, but it DIDN'T. you were DETERMINED to be a criminal.

i think that each and every criminal has faced that same predicament, and laughed it off. now, they aren't laughing. now they are sitting in jail. when they get out (a process which you are trying to accellerate) they KNOW that they won't be able to get a job.

all these criminals want all of us law abiding citizens to instantly trust them, and give them a job, to prioritize them over OTHER law abiding citizens, simply because they have made a BAD CHOICE or ten.

this is michigan, pal, not SHANGRI-LA.

it ain't gonna happen. it ain't SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

that's part of the PUNISHMENT that society places on criminals. remember, we don't like criminals, so we shut them away from society. what part of that don't you understand.

we don't want them near us. they have already PROVEN that they can't be trusted. yet you ask us to not only TRUST THEM, but to put HONEST CITIZENS OUT OF WORK TO ACCOMODATE THEM.

quit your whining. you KNEW that this was going to happen. YOU decided to commit crimes anyway.

LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.

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79) Then quit using the [by Anonymous Citizen on August 5, 2007]
issue of reoffender rate as an excuse to not pass these bills, since obviously you don't want to hear the solution for it.
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80) if the 44% of inmates [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
released would not re-offend, the prison system would be empty in ten years. it is not overcrowded because of truth in sentencing. it's overcrowded because of the high recidivism rate.

inmates who cannot keep themselves out of jail keep the cells full. not how long they are sentenced.

if they were TRULY sorry, they wouldn't re-offend. they would stay on 'the straight and narrow'. but they DON'T.

they re-offend. and quickly.

why is that? is it because there are no jobs? no. there are no jobs for anybody, but you don't see the rest of us stealing to make ends meet.

is it because the population has a 'beef' against ex-cons? no. prison status is in some communities a resume enhancement.

is it because the inmates just can't adjust to life on the outside? no. life is life. if they cannot 'adjust' to life on the outside, why are they so eager to get out? this is a condition we call INSTITUTIONALIZATION. it means that they can only be comfortable in a cell.

now, you cure the 44% recidivism rate, and you will cure jail overcrowding in one year.
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81) exactly what community [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
is it an enhancement? First that was a very ignorant comment, and I can only imagine what community you were talking about. As far as there being "no beef" as you put it, against ex cons you are sadly mistaken and that is proven by you and many others that post on this site, thank you for proving your own point false. Is some of the reoffender rate caused by lack of jobs? ABSOLUTELY and you are a fool for not thinking so. If a felony excludes you from getting a job which you are otherwise qualified for how will you A. fulfill a condition of your parole which is to remain working? B. support yourself without returning to shady behavior in which to do so? No not everyone that loses or cannot find a job commits a crime, most just kill themselves, become homeless, or turn to drugs, and some of the lucky ones have families who can help them. What about those who have no family support. You can say what others should do in any situation but until you have been there you have no idea what you would do. Now i am not under the impression that ALL committ other crimes for this reason alone, there are those who have become institutionalized, and of course none of that could be because of the long years past their minimums that they waited to be paroled now could it? You live with your head in a hole oblivious to many things obvious to some of the rest of us, and I know all I needed to know about you when you made the iffy comment about "certain community".
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82) reply. [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
in which community is it an enhancement?

[detroit. flint. lansing.]

First that was a very ignorant comment, and I can only imagine what community you were talking about.

[no you can't. you can only imagine every criminal out walking the streets.]

As far as there being "no beef" as you put it, against ex cons you are sadly mistaken and that is proven by you and many others that post on this site, thank you for proving your own point false.

[there are those who have a 'beef' with ex-cons. they don't like them. they don't trust them. SHOULD THEY??? many business owners have been robbed before. they have been stolen from. they DON'T want to be stolen from again. to invite an ex-con into the 'business family' is an invitation to be ripped off (or worse) again.]

Is some of the reoffender rate caused by lack of
jobs? ABSOLUTELY and you are a fool for not thinking so.

[if a lack of a job is a reason to re-offend, it is a reason to offend in the first place. you don't see the REST OF US doing such a stupid thing, do you? NO.]

If a felony excludes you from getting a job which you are otherwise qualified for how will you A. fulfill a condition of your parole which is to remain working?

[the condition of parole is to HAVE a job. if you have it, you should be able to keep it. if there are NO JOBS, then YOU DON'T GET PAROLE.]

B. support yourself without returning to shady behavior in which to do so?

[in one breath, you say that the jails are full of honest, hard working citizens who just fell on 'hard times'. they HAD to commit the crimes they did to put bread in their children's mouths. then in the next breath, you say that if they don't get a job, they will have to 'RETURN to the shady behavior'. make up your mind.]

No not everyone that loses or cannot find a job commits a crime, most just kill themselves, become homeless, or turn to drugs, and some of the lucky ones have families who can help them.

[so, you are telling me that if i'm out of a job, my ONLY OPTIONS are suicide, homelessness, drug abuse, or sponging off my family or the state??? HOW ABOUT FINDING ANOTHER JOB INSTEAD OF TURNING TO CRIME??? it's what law abiding people DO.]

What about those who have no family support. You can say what others should do in any situation but until you have been there you have no idea what you would do.

[i've lost jobs. i have NEVER committed a crime, or 'turned to drugs' or attempted to kill myself. i've simply GOTTEN ANOTHER JOB.]

Now i am not under the impression that ALL committ other crimes for this reason alone, there are those who have become institutionalized, and of course none of that could be because of the long years past their minimums that they waited to be paroled now could it?

[NO. it's because they decided early in life to commit crimes, and they have spent the MAJORITY OF THAT LIFE BEHIND BARS. they have become COMFORTABLE living in a cell. THAT is the definition of institutionalized.]

You live with your head in a hole oblivious to many things obvious to some of the rest of us,[maybe thats because it's YOU with your head in a hole.] and I know all I needed to know about you when you made the iffy comment about "certain community".

[maybe you should take your head out of your own ass and look around. realize that you are 'part of the problem' from our way of looking at things, not 'part of the solution'. in fact, if YOU hadn't decided to be a criminal, you wouldn't BE in this predicament right now. everyone else, all of us who are NOT in jail, all take responsibility for our own actions, and DON'T COMMIT CRIMES. you have that responsibility FORCED UPON YOU. you don't like the fact that i have brought up all these facts, and spoiled your little sales pitch. you don't like the fact that as long as i keep bringing up YOUR shortcomings, early prison release for your bretheren becomes less and less of a reality. here is another little dose of reality for you. as long as 44% of your bretheren keep re-offending within months of release, paroles will continue to be a rare commodity. either change the behavior that got you into this mess, or live with the consequences of your decisions.]
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83) first of all.... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 13, 2007]
numbnuts I am not a criminal, I am a Woman who works 54 hours a week, goes to college half time, raising two 4.0 students IN DETROIT your favorite community where it is SUCH a big status symbol to be in prison. DUMB DUMB DUMB if that was the case most teenagers would be there. Why is it that you only believe that prison inmates come from MOSTLY minority cities here in Michigan? I guess out in the lillyburbs you all don't have meth labs, husbands chopping up wives, terrorist militias, hate crimes, a whole lot of child molesters and so on.....????????? But it is just the cities where it is TRENDY? Thats why the subburban schools are getting worse and worse with drugs, rapes, assaults, bomb threats etc???????????????????????? Ignorance plain and simple, and with ignorant beliefs come ignorant offspring which helps breed the situations we have here. There's no beef huh? Thats funny cause you are on here posting faithfully against some who you don't even know why they are getting flopped, what their conduct or crime was in the first place, so what does that leave as the reason of the beef? Because they are an inmate, just what I said. For future reference I'd much rather my head be in my a**(as you said) which I know is a RESEARCHED a** on this issue than be in the HOLE with yours who speaks not only from ignorance but an obvious prejudice against the minorities that make up the majority of the cities you named.
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84) How Sad [by Anonymous Citizen on August 3, 2007]
I am a missionary that works in the prisons with the inmates. I feel such sadness when I read the hateful comments left on this site. What most of you do not understand is that the system failed these prisoners long ago. Most of the inmates come from homes where they were abused and neglected most of there life. Some come from good families that still stand by them and support them however they are in the minority and these prisoners are the ones that have the best chance of getting out and staying out. Because of TIS there is no money to rehabilitate these prisoners. Locking them up for a longer period of time is not going to change the recidivism rate in fact it has made the rate go up. If we can not put programs in place to teach the inmate how to change the behavior while the prisoner is locked up then why do we think they can do it on there own when they are released. These prisoners have no schedule or structure to there day. They can sleep all day and stay up all night if they want to. They have a choice to work or not work. And then we lock them up as long as possible and then let them out and think that they can all of a sudden become responsible and get a job and lead a normal life. TIS is not the answer to the problem and bashing the prisoners loved ones that posts comments on this site is horrible. The prisons should be ran the way the military is ran. Teach these inmates to have some pride in themselves and give them a since of accomplishment. This would cut down on the violence inside the prisons and teach them to work as a team. The state of Michigan will just keep locking more and more people up for a longer and longer period of time. We as the tax payers will be paying for this. Instead of fighting each other why don't we all work together to find a better way to run the prison system.
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85) because the prisons are [by Anonymous Citizen on August 3, 2007]
prisons, not schools.

rehabilitation is something that was dreamed about, but never funded. it is a lofty goal, but one that never recieved a dime of funding.

if MOST of the people who are in jail were abused when young, why aren't they TURNING IN THEIR PARENTS like they turn in their teachers, ministers, and priests?

they don't mind admitting to being abused and molested by THEM, why should being abused and molested by their parents be any different?

that tells me that IT REALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY.

besides, thousands of people are abused and molested each day, and THEY don't use it as an excuse to commit crimes, they use it as a tool to move on and live their lives.

yes, we DO expect the inmate to stand up and be responsible for his actions from the day we let him out of jail. the same thing that is expected of EVERY OTHER CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY. why should THEY be any different?

we all have to live by the same rules.

if inmates have a hard time living by the rules, it is NO WONDER they can't obey the law. no amount of schooling will change that in a person. no amount of coddling will make that go away. the inmate has to WANT TO CHANGE. he has to have some INCENTIVE to change.

recidivism is also called GIVING UP ON SOCIETY. so why, if the inmate gives up on society, shouldn't society give up on him?

all you liberals keep talking about what society should GIVE TO THE INMATE. it's not up to society to GIVE THE INMATE ANYTHING. it's up to the inmate to give to society.

if he can't, or won't, then he doesn't deserve inclusion into OUR SOCIETY. he can continue to be treated as an OUTCAST.

i know that it's a LOT TO ASK, but it's no more, and no less than is asked of every other citizen.


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86) as always [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
Another person that thinks he has all the answers but does not have a clue about the facts. Instead of just saying the inmate should be able to do it on there own or society should just throw them away why don't you give some suggestions as to how we can help to accomplish this. It is very evident that the system that is in place is not working. So as you say lets just turn our back on them, well who do you think pays to keep these people locked up. We can not turn our back on them because our tax money is supporting them.
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87) everyone else [by Anonymous Citizen on August 6, 2007]
who obeys laws and stays out of jail does it without anyone else's help. all on their own. without assistance from the government.

and to top it all off, they FINANCE the cushy little palaces that your loved ones inhabit.

now, before you go about tugging at the heartstrings of the liberals out there, please explain how you plan on keeping someone out of jail who wants to be there?
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88) not all return first of all [by Anonymous Citizen on August 21, 2007]
and second of all we REHABILITATE and COUNSEL to avoid becoming institutionalized, not extend sentences for those who are eligible for release and have proved by good conduct that they are ready for release. All you do when you hold someone when their parole eligibilty score makes them eligible, is pay one more day for an inmate who has been cleared for release.
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89) wake up [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
The goverment does not pay for these "cushy" places!! We do!! So what is the answer to the problem. All I read on this site from the people that oppose this bill is why we should keep the prisoner locked up as long as possible. Ok if that is what you want then give some ideas as to how we are going to finance this. The state in case you have not noticed is in serious financial trouble. If we are going to keep TIS then how are we going to pay for building more prisons and employing more correctional officers? You want to know how? By raising our taxes that is how. So you oppose bringing back good time then do not complain when half our income goes to state taxes to keep these people locked up.
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90) honey you are wasting your [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
breath with these folks they don't get simple math. More inmates coming in + less inmates recieving parole even when LEGALLY ELIGIBLE = MONEY PROBLEMS AND OVERCROWDING. Its simple really. They want to believe that the prisons are cushy so that they can justify cutting from those who aren't even recieving it. Tell me if the $100 is going to the inmate why do i pay for my loved one to see a doc and dentist? Why do i pay for anything other than three kid sized meals a day? Why do i pay for any phone call that he makes? The answer to that is IF it takes $100 a inmate to have a uniform, a cot, a pair of shoes, and three small meals damn i'd say thats really cushy. The point is that even if you cut it will not stop the overcrowding due to overly long sentences(which other states do not have),and this will again lead to overspending in the mdoc which the state can no longer afford. Fix the TIS muck up, fix the overzealous and power hungry parole board, provide job training anything less is just a band aid that will pop loose within months.
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91) why can't you understand [by Anonymous Citizen on August 9, 2007]
that long sentences were what the MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ASKED FOR.

YOU may not like it, but it's the way it is.

lowering the cost per inmate per day is the ONLY WAY to cut expenses without releasing inmates. the rest of the state spent millions of dollars to put inmates behind bars, and we intend to keep them there for their full term.

letting inmates go before their sentences are up is called CODDLING. it's letting them off easy. that is not the idea of punishment.

the fact that you have to pay for all these things is a function of CORRUPT GOVERNMENT, not truth in sentencing. you are just too thick skulled to understand it.

i understand you want your loved one back, but if you couldn't teach him how to behave and stay out of jail before, what makes you think that you can teach him to behave and stay out of jail NOW?


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92) at the minimum [by Anonymous Citizen on August 13, 2007]
their sentences are legally eligible to be up smart guy. Okay cut the per inmate cost, we will be revisiting this issue again every year for the next twenty years because we will have the exact same problem. Republicans and Democrats have failed on this issue miserably.
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93) no, YOU have failed [by Anonymous Citizen on August 14, 2007]
to grasp the simple truth of the matter.

other states do more with less money. why can't we?


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94) because fool..... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 14, 2007]
if you check into the other states that you are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worried about you will find that they do not incarcerate for many things that we do, and when they do it is for shorter periods of time, and when it is time for parole there is no hold up because of a power hungry parole board. The per inmate cost would not even be an issue up for debate if the parole system was working as it was designed to. This is precisely why the judiciary committee is working hand in hand with CAPPS to try to change it. Of course you will have money issues when you have a steady flow in and little to none coming out....its simple math. Would cutting help....possibly....but it is a band aide on a gaping wound, years of neglect and mismanagement by many, and implementation of a disciplinary system without looking into the future monetary hole it would put us in, has reaked havoc on the whole mdoc and to the state budget. Cut all you want, but you have many other issues to deal with such as overcrowding and the lack of money to build more prisons and to maintain them. Also there needs to be a universal waiting list for required classes, which is also one of the causes of costly "FLOPS", there also needs to be a reentry program in EVERY prison that is accessible to inmates coming up on release which would help to ease them back into society and give them a head start in not reoffending. There are many issues involved here not just cutting cost. Like I said cut costs if you want to but unfortunately that won't solve the problem.
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95) yeah, and you probably never had a speeding ticket that .. [by suppressed american on August 12, 2007]
you bitched about. or you never went over the speed limit, or never ran a stop sign. you people that think you are holier-than-thou make me ill.

as long as it is someone else that pays it's ok. once it happens to you it's a different story.

don't say "IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME". thats exactly what those people in prison said. never say never !!!!
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96) it WILL never happen [by Anonymous Citizen on August 12, 2007]
to me. because, while i MAY one day drive over the speed limit, which hasn't happened SO FAR in 47 years, but there COULD BE a first time, i WILL NOT do drugs. I WILL NOT steal from someone. i WILL NOT break into someone else's home. i WILL NOT murder anybody.

i have decided NOT to do these stupid things, and there is NO WAY that i can be talked into doing them. i like the thousands of other people who NEVER WENT TO JAIL, i have the discipline and self control necessary to keep myself out of jail.

you simply lack the discipline and self control to keep yourself from hurting yourself and those around you. you will never have it, therefore, you will always have to pay the price for not exercising control over your own stupidity.


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97) the perfect judge [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
Wow, you didn't say anthing about how you judge people? Maybe God would like to say something about that, because a sin is a sin, and you commit many just in your words alone. I agree with the person below this - I am laughing and clapping. People like you are the reason why I go to church. God help us.
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98) i have faith that [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
if God wanted to tell me something, he would.

what would God tell you?

i'm sure you and your loved one will be punished for your sins.

remember, Jesus didn't ask people to forgive the thief being crucified next to him, he said God would forgive him.

now, it's not up to YOU to tell me what God would or wouldn't do. you don't speak for God. God and I have a very close relationship.

you, i'm not so sure about.
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99) I'm clapping right now for you.... [by Anonymous Citizen on August 14, 2007]
and yes I'm being sarcastic. Many of these inmates are not in for anything you described first of all, do you think thats all that is in these prisons? Have you ever been an avid user drugs or an alcoholic? Some (not all before you start saying what I said) of these inmates committed crimes after years of drug and/or alcohol abuse which has been proven to lessen ones ability to reason, making it quite hard to make good choices don't you think? So until you've walked in anothers circumstance never say what you would or would not do. Now this is not to say that all inmates are angels either....obviously i know this is not the case. What some of us on here are trying to say is that many of these inmates made first time bad choice, those who realize they made a bad choice and want to reenter society, and do what is expected of them inside, deserve to be able to earn the five days off of every month with no misconducts. They don't get them regardless of their behavior they get it for their behavior. Trust me if an inmate doesn't want to change he won't follow any rule he doesn't want to inside. Those of you who haven't READ THE BILL WORD FOR WORD, those who haven't educate yourself on the issues facing the mdoc and what some RESEARCHED solutions are, those who haven't visit the CAPPS.mi.org website and read through the articles and stories, obviously they are thoroughly researched because as we speak they are working with the judiciary committee on many of these issues.
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100) you are the one that does not understand [by Anonymous Citizen on August 10, 2007]
Come on get real!! They have already cut as much as possible from the inmates. They have cut all rehab,all job training,all substance abuse classes,smaller meals & electricity only certain hours of the day. The hundred dollars a day you think goes to the prisoner includes the cost for the facility the guards and all other costs associated with running an institution. The reason the TIS passed was because the people of Michigan thought it would cut the recidivism rate but it has done the exact opposite the rate is higher now than before TIS. So I have news for you this bill is going to pass and the reason why is because TIS is not working and only costing the state millions of dollars that we pay for with our taxes. So if you were not so thick headed you would realize that the only way to keep the state from going bankrupt is to pass this bill. So keep coming on this site and bashing the people that have loved ones locked up and pray that you never walk in there shoes.
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101) reply. [by Anonymous Citizen on August 10, 2007]
Come on get real!! They have already cut as much as possible from the inmates.

[you assume that i mean to cut more from the inmates. you are wrong. forty other states do MORE than michigan does with A LOT LESS MONEY. why can't michgian do the same? because they are corrupt.]

They have cut all rehab,all job training,all substance abuse classes,smaller meals & electricity only certain hours of the day. The hundred dollars a day you think goes to the prisoner includes the cost for the facility the guards and all other costs associated with running an institution.

[then why can alabama do EXACTLY THE SAME THING, including running a capital punishment program, with all the expenses attached to that, for $14.00 a day? why does the state of alabama get so much for so little?]

The reason the TIS passed was because the people of Michigan thought it would cut the recidivism rate but it has done the exact opposite the rate is higher now than before TIS.

[no, the reason truth in sentencing was passed is because the people of the state of michigan thought that prisoners were getting off far too easy on their sentences. truth in sentencing is about THE LENGTH OF TIME an inmate stays behind bars, recidivism is about how long an inmate stays out before offending again. the two have nothing to do with each other, except that they are both done by inmates.]

So I have news for you this bill is going to pass and the reason why is because TIS is not working and only costing the state millions of dollars that we pay for with our taxes.

[that is NOT good news. think of how much letting all those inmates go is going to cost this state. yes, YOU will get your loved one back, but only until he cannot control himself once again and goes out and does something that sends him back to his beloved cellmate.]

So if you were not so thick headed you would realize that the only way to keep the state from going bankrupt is to pass this bill.

[once again, you let your love for your inmate override your common sense. this bill is nothing more than a band-aid, lowering the COST PER INMATE PER DAY is the only way to keep this state from going bankrupt. all releasing them early without solving the recidivism problem first is going to do is add another conviction to their record, it won't keep them out of jail. so, what are you going to do when the recidivism rate climbs again? close another few jails and just stop putting people in prison at all?]

So keep coming on this site and bashing the people that have loved ones locked up and pray that you never walk in there shoes.

[if presenting the FACTS is bashing, then YES, i will keep bashing. i have only pointed out that your loved one has made a STRING OF BAD DECISIONS THAT SHOWED NO LOVE FOR YOU. and you keep on 'sticking with him' despite the fact that none of his FUTURE decisions is going to involve you either. he has PROVEN that love for you is ONE SIDED. you love him, but he loves to do whatever he has to do to go to prison. you may disagree, but look where he is, and think about where he ISN'T. he IS in prison, he ISN'T with YOU.]


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102) my reply. [by uber-liberal on August 10, 2007]
Come on get real!! They have already cut as much as possible from the inmates.

[no they haven't. we can cut more. what does an inmate NEED with a television? he can learn to read his bible.]

They have cut all rehab,

[rehab wouldn't necessary if the inmate wouldn't have BROKEN THE LAW by DOING DRUGS IN THE FIRST PLACE. it should be up to the inmate to pay to GET HIMSELF CLEAN, SOBER, AND LEGAL.]

all job training,

[the rest of us got JOB TRAINING in high school, or (i know, it's a crazy idea) ON THE JOB.]

all substance abuse classes,

[once again, if the inmate wouldn't have BROKEN THE LAW (another BAD DECISION THAT TOOK HIM AWAY FROM YOU) in the first place by ABUSING DRUGS, then we wouldn't have to PAY FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE CLASSES FOR HIM. your inmate is getting REALLY EXPENSIVE with his criminal ways.]

smaller meals

[oh, how you long to cook for him. why isn't he at home, eating at your table, that way the state wouldn't have to pay for ANY meals for him. imagine the COST SAVINGS.]

& electricity only certain hours of the day.

[i don't care if he lives by kerosene lanterns. once again, what does an inmate NEED television for? most other states do not even give access to electricity to the inmates. AT ALL, for any reason. they turn the lights on, and at certain times, they turn the lights off (if the inmates are lucky).]

The hundred dollars a day you think goes to the prisoner includes the cost for the facility the guards and all other costs associated with running an institution.

[and that is higher than forty other states pay. why must we be among the HIGHEST PAYING STATES? WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY MORE TO GET LESS? what are we buying for that $109.35 a day? a batch of CODDLED INMATES.]

The reason the TIS passed was because the people of Michigan thought it would cut the recidivism rate but it has done the exact opposite the rate is higher now than before TIS.

[you are so wrong on this one, but i won't go into that, my compatriot has already covered it. but i will ask how THIS BILL will solve the recidivism problem? how is this bill going to keep inmates from reoffending? do you think that having him back in your loving arms is going to keep him from making bad decisions in the future?]

So I have news for you this bill is going to pass and the reason why is because TIS is not working and only costing the state millions of dollars that we pay for with our taxes.

[obviously truth in sentencing IS working, or you wouldn't be supporting this bill. what is costing us BILLIONS OF DOLLARS is SUPPORTING YOUR CRIMINAL LOVED ONE.]

So if you were not so thick headed you would realize that the only way to keep the state from going bankrupt is to pass this bill.

[if I'M so thick headed, why are MY loved ones NOT IN JAIL??? YOUR loved ones ARE IN JAIL. now, tell me, who is the THICK HEADED ONE HERE?]

So keep coming on this site and bashing the people that have loved ones locked up and pray that you never walk in there shoes.

[i would have to make a STRING OF BAD DECISIONS in order to go to jail. i have DECIDED NOT TO MAKE THOSE BAD DECISIONS. i have lived 47 years so far without making those bad decisions, and i don't think i'm going to start now. YOUR loved one, on the other hand, can't seem to QUIT MAKING BAD DECISIONS.]


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103) no, YOU say it. [by Anonymous Citizen on August 2, 2007]
judgment has nothing to do with it. bearing FALSE WITNESS does. why do you lie?

looking at this from a FREE MAN'S PERSPECTIVE, instead of a PRISONER'S PERSPECTIVE, if they had only DONE THE RIGHT THING IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEY WOULDN'T NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING IN JAIL.

but you will neer see that point of view, you keep demanding that WE all GO TO PRISON to see what it's like there.

we KNOW what it's like there. we built it. we paid for it, and we're still paying for it.

you, on the other hand, are STAYING THERE AT NO EXPENSE TO YOU. YOU ARE OUR GUEST.

try and act like it. or get out and be productive.
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104) Troll Troll Troll [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
Why are you such a troll. I bet you would never post your address on here for fear of somebody putting their foot up your bum. I am sure this is not the only site where you pass out your miserable nature onto others. Please people don't feed into this monster. Just support the bill and write your legislator.
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105) Hang em [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
all
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106) Hang em [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
all
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107) Heng em [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
all
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108) hang em [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2008]
all
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109) negative [by Anonymous Citizen on July 16, 2007]
I would just like to make a quick comment on here about the person who likes to argue that most to all people go back to prison... Yes people have choices to make, but often times people we consider "criminals" make poor choices, in a society such as ours, the best thing isnt always the easy thing, and some people make a poor choice.. not a mistake, you are correct on that, and please dont act like you are so perfect that you have NEVER done anything wrong. Just for the record my brother was in prison for almost 7 years for uttering and publishing, now theres a girl that lives in our town that smashed her infants head in with her foot and killed the baby and served less time then my brother did.. our judical system is very very very messed up. One more thing for the record, my brother was released from prison 5 years ago, and he has not committed a new crime, and he won't. He very much enjoys his freedom, so therefor some people just make BAD CHOICES.... lighten up a little and before you worry about other peoples lives and talking down on their loved ones, take a little look in the mirror and make sure you dont have any demons reflecting back.

~To those of you that have loved ones in prison, be strong, once they are home nothing else will matter, and as long as your their to support them and really see them through, they will be staying where they belong and thats home with you~

~Julie
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110) no one ever said that they [by Anonymous Citizen on July 17, 2007]
ALL go back to prison. just one out of every two.

there has to be a reason for this.

either

1. they cannot help themselves, they MUST go back to prison.

2. they WANT to go back to prison.

either way, the rate of recidivism is GOING UP.

it could be that THEY BELIEVE that prison is the RIGHT PLACE FOR THEM TO BE.
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111) going up why stupid? [by Anonymous Citizen on July 17, 2007]
geez do you not understand how hard it is for a felon to find a job, in a state especially that regular folks have trouble. The felony is just one more thing to disqualify them even if they are skilled. Is it the employers fault, NO that is not what i am saying, what i am saying however is that until we map out how to involve these inmates back into the workforce there will continue to be a return rate. And how sad would it be if someone had it so bad out here that they wanted to go back to a place where they have three meals? How sad would it be if the court system incarcerated for such long periods of time for things that other states do not, and an inmate becomes accustomed to prison life and has lost family, and feels like his only home is prison?? The point is Mr.Sarcastic its obvious you just post here to bait and criticize not to FIND A SOLUTION, therefore you should be ignored. I don't see you offering up any solutions for how to help