There’s a renewed push in the state Legislature to overhaul Michigan’s corrections system.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher has more.
Bills meant to safely reduce the state’s prison population went down in flames at the end of the last legislative session. That’s partly because state Attorney General Bill Schuette and law enforcement groups said they didn’t have enough time to vet the bills.
House Criminal Justice Committee Chair Kurt Heise is sponsoring the legislation this time around. He admits it won’t be easy to reach a compromise.
“If these bills are going to make it to the House floor, it’s going to be another one of these situations where nobody gets what they want,” he says.
Michigan spends about $2 billion dollars a year on corrections. That’s more than any other state department.