Prison Fellowship

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • All Options
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Camp
    • Justice Reform
      • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • News & Updates
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
    • Church Partners
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
    • Research and Evaluation
      • Good Citizenship Model™
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Resources for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
      • Subscribe To The Hope Connection
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Resources for Angel Tree Coordinators
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • Share on Social
    • For Media Outlets
  • ABOUT US
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
      • About Chuck Colson
      • The Charles Colson Hope Awards
    • Our Beliefs
    • Financials
      • Financials
      • 2022 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News

Help Michigan Citizens Languishing in Pretrial Limbo

September 3, 2020 by Grayson Pope

State's Michigan's pretrial system is in desperate need of reform. You can help change it.

michigan pretrial

Imagine being stuck in jail for weeks over a minor offense, like driving with a suspended license. You do not pose an immediate danger to society. However, your family can't afford to pay the bail set by a judge. You know driving with a suspended license is wrong, but you needed to work to provide for your family. Because you're behind bars, your boss eventually lays you off.

Your trial finally comes. Because your crime isn't particularly serious, the judge sentences you to probation. But after you've done your time of community supervision, you can't find a new employer willing to overlook your criminal record. You want to move on and be a productive citizen, but your record ties you to your past. These collateral consequences drive you deeper into poverty.

For too many Michiganders, this scenario is not just a nightmare; it is a difficult reality.

Driving with a suspended license was the third-most-common reason for jail admission in Michigan in 2018. That year, nearly 358,000 people lost the legal right to drive a car because they failed to appear in court or to pay legal fines or fees. For many individuals, a suspended driver's license removes the only way they can get to work, pick up their kids, or run necessary errands. This, in turn, hurts their ability to pay off debts.

Driving with a suspended license was the third-most-common reason for jail admission in Michigan in 2018.

THE NEED FOR PRETRIAL REFORM IN MICHIGAN

Suspended  driver's licenses is one of several reasons why Michigan's county jail populations nearly tripled in recent years. In response, state and local leaders created the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. The task force's report, released in January, analyzed jail populations across the state and made legislative recommendations for consideration in 2020.

The report revealed that the average daily jail population in Michigan was 16,000 in 2016. The population was split almost evenly between individuals awaiting trial and those convicted of a crime. While the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a speedy trial, there is no definitive time limit set for pretrial detention. Many people waive that right in hopes of getting a better plea bargain. The time an individual spends in detention prior to trial varies by jurisdiction from weeks to months. Some wait years to have their day in court.

The cost of bail also significantly impacts why most pretrial detainees remain in custody today. Two people accused of committing the same crime can be treated differently due to wealth. One may stay in jail pending trial; the other released solely because he has bond money. If cash is the only factor in determining whether a person can go free, you have an unjust system.

RAISE YOUR VOICE

Nearly 8,000 people in Michigan are currently awaiting trial in jail. Many of these people are in jail for weeks over minor offenses because they cannot afford bail.

Pretrial incarceration should be used carefully and only when a person presents an actual risk of harm or flight. And, where access to wealth is the main reason someone is held behind bars—whether due to unnecessarily high bail or inability to pay fines and fees—lawmakers should intervene and pass reforms to make punishment better fit the crime.  Michiganders, urge lawmakers to support pretrial justice reforms that offer proportional, nonjail alternatives for minor crimes.

CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS

DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE?

Make sure you don' t miss out on any of our helpful articles and incredible transformation stories! Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, and you' ll get great content delivered directly to your inbox.

Your privacy is safe with us. We will never sell, trade, or share your personal information.

Filed Under: Advocacy & Reentry, Prison & Prisoners Tagged With: Criminal Justice Reform, Michigan

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

Prison Fellowship’s Statement on the Federal Prison Oversight Act

June 21, 2023

Prison Fellowship’s Statement on President Biden’s Announcement of Second Chance Month Initiatives

May 1, 2023

‘The Chosen’ Soon Available to Tens of Thousands of Incarcerated by Floodlight Streaming Service

May 1, 2023

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
PF®
PFM®

RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • Ways to Donate
  • Inspirational Stories
  • Angel Tree Program
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Justice Reform

RESOURCES

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • For Media Outlets
  • Warden Exchange

JOIN RESTORATION PARTNERS AND WITNESS GOD RESTORE LIVES

Restoration Partners give monthly to bring life-changing prison ministry programs to incarcerated men and women across the country.

 

JOIN NOW
  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2023 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, Angel Tree Sports ClinicTM, Angel Tree Sports CampsTM, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.