The prison system has needed an overhaul for a long time.
Gov. Rick Snyder on Monday delivered a sweeping message on criminal justice, calling for fewer non-violent criminals to be sent to prison while making sure ex-convicts can get jobs and contribute to society, the Detroit Free Press reports. Snyder also called for elderly prisoners who no longer pose a danger to society to be released.
"We know that most criminals who go to prison will eventually be released after they have completed their sentence. It would be better for all of society if these former inmates are able to earn a job instead of turning back to crime,” Snyder says in a posted statement. “We have to do better at preparing these individuals for life outside of prison walls so they can return to their communities as productive members of society. To change the outcome of their time in prison, we have to change how we prepare them to reenter society.”
The Freep reports:
Also, "we should allocate our resources to address the root causes of criminal behavior, such as mental health issues, substance abuse, child neglect and truancy, which can prevent crimes from happening in the first place," Snyder said in a written special message to the Legislature, which he presented Monday in Detroit at Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit, which helps to train and employ former prisoners.
Snyder also calls for steps to improve the racial diversity of Michigan's police forces, better protect and support crime victims -- particularly victims of domestic violence -- and improve a patchwork juvenile justice system which fails many youngsters by not providing proper treatment or residential placements, the Free Press reports.