Why Shorter Prison Sentencing in Michigan May Save You Money

Why Shorter Prison Sentencing in Michigan May Save You Money

Did you know that prisoners in Michigan have an average stay of 4.3 years, while the national average stay is 2.9 years?

Hello and happy Friday! I know we have all worked a long hard week and are ready for the weekend. I know I am. Did you know that much of your tax dollars are headed to feed, clothe, and shelter criminals?

We all know that our tax dollars fund the prisons and keep us safe. Then why is the national average stay of a prisoner over a year shorter than in Michigan? Are we being falsely persuaded into paying more of our tax dollars?

The MiningJournal wrote a great article about this issue. Below is a quote from the article.

Between 1990 and 2009, the average stay in Michigan increased by almost two years, costing an estimated $471.9 million to keep prisoners locked up longer, according to the Pew study released last year. Pew is a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit research center. Heyns said there needs to be a discussion about sentencing changes soon or the state will continue to pay to keep too many people locked up, often after they are no longer a threat to society.”

This article goes on further to state that according to “Some experts argue longer prison stints do little to deter crime or reduce recidivism and therefore only swell the Corrections Department budget.”

So what do you think? Is this something that we need our politicians to take a deeper look at? With Michigan and cities all over Michigan struggling to meet their budget, could reducing prison sentences help?

Or do you feel safer living in Michigan knowing that criminals face harsher sentencing then most states in the U.S.?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.