Detroit Office

535 Griswold
Suite 2500 Buhl Building
Detroit, MI 48226

Office: 313.882.6178
Mobile: 313.408.0567
Fax: 866.406.9381

Resources

Additional Resources

Reports

Probation and Parole in the United States.
Reports the number of persons on probation and parole by state at the end of 2008 and compares with comparable figures since 2000. Also offers demographic characteristics of persons covered. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Does Parole Work?
Analyzing the Impact of Postprison Supervision on Rearrest Outcomes
This March 2005 paper by Urban Institute discusses the value of parole supervision. It compared rates of recidivism among ex-convicts who were paroled with those among ex-convicts who were released with no strings attached.
This study found that the recidivism rate among prisoners released unconditionally was virtually the same as that among "mandatory parolees," or prisoners for whom parole is part of a fixed sentence — "the public safety impact of supervision is ... nonexistent," the authors write, adding that the current parole system "serves little purpose apart from providing false comfort."

Barriers to the Employment of People with Criminal Records
This report prepared for the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative State Policy Team makes 15 recommendations on ways to remove barriers that keep ex-offenders from finding employment. 2006.

Is Your Criminal Record Holding You Back? (Word: 23K)
Tips on how to expunge your criminal record prepared by Western Michigan Legal Services, 2003.

Denying parole at first eligibility: How much public safety does it actually buy? A study of prisoner release and recidivism in Michigan by the Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending. 2009

Links

The Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending
The Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending, a non-profit public policy organization, is concerned about the social and economic costs of prison expansion. Because policy choices, not crime rates, have caused our prison population to explode, CAPPS advocates re-examining those policies and shifting our resources to public services that prevent crime, rehabilitate offenders, and address the needs of all our citizens in a cost-effective manner.
This site contains research reports on those in prison that are past their earliest release dates, policies that result in unnecessary population increases and groups of people who could be considered for parole or commutation.
American Friends Service Committee, Michigan Chapter
The criminal justice program of this Michigan chapter in Ann Arbor advocates for prisoners and their families. It works to change policies within the Michigan Department of Corrections which are detrimental to prisoners and their families.
Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
CDAM is an organization of criminal defense attorneys from around the state which provides educational and a resource sharing forum for criminal defense practitioners. The website includes information on CDAM-sponsored conferences and training. The organization also appears as Amicus Curiae in important precedent-setting cases, and contributes legal expertise to death penalty issues in Michigan.
Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
This is a membership organization of families of prisoners, prisoners, former prisoners and other concerned citizens (has a Michigan chapter, MI-CURE).
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
FAMM is a national organization of citizens working to reform federal and state mandatory sentencing laws that remove judicial discretion. It was instrumental in eliminating mandatory drug sentencing in Michigan.
Michigan Department of Corrections
The MDOC site includes information on prisoners, parolees and probationers currently and no longer in the system. It also contains addresses and contacts for Michigan prisons and camps, victim resources, incarceration and parole data fact sheets, and programs and services. Publications, including the annual statistical reports, are also available at this site. A link to the state's re-entry initiative is also at this site.