prosecutors balk at state prison releases

[RAJustice]

Southwestern Michigan prosecutors balk at state prison releases

State official says fewer inmates returning.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/arti.../-1/googleNews

-snip-
State prison officials, though, say more prisoners are out on parole, but the recidivism rate is lower because of new programs put in place to prevent it.
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A drop in inmates

Cotter said the state's prison population has dropped by 8,000 in the past two years already, and state officials are proposing another 8,000, which will likely happen if Granholm's recommendation makes headway. That would drop the jail population from about 50,000 two years ago to 35,000 in the next couple of years.

John Cordell, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said there were 45,148 inmates in prison at the end of April 2010. In 2009, he said, 13,531 inmates were paroled, the highest number since prior to 1995.

"But it's only 7 percent higher than what the average has been over the last 10 years," he said.

Cordell added that parole violators re-entering prisons is a "fairly low level." As far as revocation, there has been an average of 159 per 1,000 prisoners.

"It's the prosecution's job to prosecute cases that come before them, and it's the parole board's job to make informed decision about who is released and when that person is released once they meet their minimum sentence," Cordell said.

"The prosecutors say they aren't serving long enough, but they're serving the minimum sentence and many beyond."

[sandymom]

State official says fewer inmates returning.

Berrien County Prosecutor Art Cotter says he can best sum up the problems with releasing prison inmates early with one name.

8,000 have been paroled in the last two years.
As far as revocation, there has been an average of 159 per 1,000 prisoners.

Yet this prosecuter can sum up this as a problem by one name? One bad offense committed by a parolee. How many bad offenses were committed by first time offenders? I can bet he can come up with more than one name of 1st time offenders. What is the answer to that, lock everyone up that could commit a crime?
I do not believe that the length of time an inmate is incarcerated makes his recidivism rate lower.
This guy must be up for vote soon.

[Lions Heart]

Originally Posted by sandymom

8,000 have been paroled in the last two years.
As far as revocation, there has been an average of 159 per 1,000 prisoners.

Yet this prosecuter can sum up this as a problem by one name? One bad offense committed by a parolee. How many bad offenses were committed by first time offenders? I can bet he can come up with more than one name of 1st time offenders. What is the answer to that, lock everyone up that could commit a crime?
I do not believe that the length of time an inmate is incarcerated makes his recidivism rate lower.
This guy must be up for vote soon.

The increased length of time does not correlate to reduced recidivism. there are several studies on that!!!! Actually there is some reports that actually show no improvement or even a decline the longer the incarceration. There is usually a minimum base to that though.

Art Cotter is an idiot who hasn't taken the time to do his own research and has just thrown out things that he believes to be true!!

[Tim's Hope]

Originally Posted by Lions Heart

Art Cotter is an idiot who hasn't taken the time to do his own research and has just thrown out things that he believes to be true!!

You are correct about that! I live in Berrien County and know him! He fails to realize that the reason why it costs MI so much to run the prison system is because the CO's are getting paid a lot more than the states around us. The money isn't being spent on the inmates as we all know well! I have a relative that lives in South Carolina and has a friend down there who is a CO and earns $13.00 per hour! It's at least double that in our "great" state.

[RAJustice]

[quote=Tim's Hope;5435754]You are correct about that! I live in Berrien County and know him! He fails to realize that the reason why it costs MI so much to run the prison system is because the CO's are getting paid a lot more than the states around us. The money isn't being spent on the inmates as we all know well! I have a relative that lives in South Carolina and has a friend down there who is a CO and earns $13.00 per hour! It's at least double that in our "great" state.[/quo

Job posting on SC.GOV - Corrections
STATE JOB TITLE: CORRECTIONAL OFFICER II
SALARY RANGE $ 024881 - $ 046033
LEVEL: B SALARY RANGE $ 025882 - $ 040974
__________________________________________________ ______________________________
STATE OF SC MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND EXPERIENCE IN CORRECTIONAL, SECURITY, OR POLICE WORK.

Hourly wage in MI for an officer at the top of the pay scale is $23.56x2080= $49,004.80.

South Carolina pays $46,033/2080=$22.13 an hour

Maybe your relative's friend is a county jail CO. They are paid less here also. I do agree that MI's officers are overpaid.

RA