NCJ Number
230657
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 72 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2010 Pages: 36-39
Date Published
February 2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article uses the State of Michigan as a case study in how State correctional systems are coping with budget issues in a depressed economy.
Abstract
Since 2001, the State of Michigan has been operating in a depressed economy, and so has the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). This article begins with an overview of how the budget process works in Michigan and how the MDOC fits into the process. Since 2001, the percentage of the Michigan budget used by the MDOC has increased from 16.8 percent of the total budget to 20.8 percent of the total budget at the same time that the total budget for the State has decreased. The article examines the MPRI, the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative, a program designed to help the MDOC become smaller, more cost-efficient, and more responsive to the needs of the criminal justice system while at the same time continuing to protect the public. The article also examines efforts by the MDOC to "right-size" the prisoner population in the Michigan correctional system. Results from these efforts are estimated to be a net reduction of nearly 6,000 prisoners and a savings of nearly $100 million. The article also discusses the negative effects that these budget issues have on MDOC employees and how the MDOC needs to find and maintain the proper balance between protecting the public while being fiscally responsible. 3 figures