Presumptive Parole Bill Faces Opposition

The House Criminal Justice Committee discussed a bill Tuesday, which would release prisoners who are presumed not to be a menace to society after they have served their minimum sentence requirements. House Bill 4138 has received pushback from a variety of groups including the Michigan Association of Counties, the Michigan Sheriff’s Association, several county prosecutors, and Attorney General Bill Schuette.

The opponents of the bill focused on public safety and the financial burden of implementing a new program such as this one. One solution to the issue of public safety offered by D.J. Hilson, the Muskegon County Prosecutor, was to build a list of certain crimes that would not be allowed into the program, such as sexual assault and violent crimes. In a statement issued shortly after the meeting, Attorney General Bill Schuette stated that nearly 70% of violent offenders are released at their minimum release date by the parole board. He continued voicing his opposition, as forcing the release of those not granted parole at their first date would put their victims and Michigan citizens in danger.

Currently the bill is worded in a manner that would only grant presumptive parole to those offenders who were transferred into state custody on or after the effective date of the legislation. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Kurt Heise (R-Plymouth), stated that the bill could save nearly $82 million dollars through decreasing the number of beds needed in the corrections system and closing at least two facilities over time.

Representative Heise garnered general support from the Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending. The group however opposed the H-2 substitute adopted by the House Criminal Justice Committee and offered various ideas on how to improve the bill, including adding a list of exempted crimes to presumptive parole.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, June 5, 2015 10:53 AM
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