By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
The state's highest ranking judge addressed a joint session of the Legislature Wednesday at the state Capitol. Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly gave the first State of the Judiciary speech in a decade.
Kelly told lawmakers that budget cuts are making it difficult for the courts to be effective.
"Funding for substance abuse counseling and mental health treatment are frequent targets for severe budget cuts," she says. "But investment in those services can yield great dividends down the road."
Kelly says the state spends too much money on prisons, and not enough on programs that prevent people from going to prison.