Dear Advocacy Partners,
United in our recognition of the pressing need for change, a coalition of community leaders is working to champion criminal justice reform in Lansing. Despite our collective resolve, the current state legislature has unfortunately fallen short in addressing essential reforms, leaving critical decisions repeatedly postponed for future sessions. Michigan’s high incarceration rate has not made us safer; instead, it has perpetuated a harmful cycle disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. Our vision for Michigan prioritizes genuine public safety, upholds equity, and directs resources toward addressing crime’s root causes.
Our coalition is steadfast in its commitment to address critical gaps, particularly in expanding access to participation. We recognize that discussions often favor established and well-funded organizations, leaving grassroots groups and activists with limited opportunities for meaningful engagement. Through our collective advocacy for criminal legal reform, we aim to amplify the effectiveness of each individual struggle and generate a critical mass of support.
Herein is a “support commitment request” for individuals as well as organizations. We have been working behind the scenes to create a strategy for a coordinated effort to engage our legislators on the urgent need to pass existing criminal justice legislation. This strategy involves categorizing the legislation into three subgroups, through which we are developing additional strategies. These groupings are as follows:
Pre-incarceration:
- Cash Bail
- Fund Indigent Defense
- Mandated Use of Force Policy
- Danny’s Bill
- Ban Chokeholds
- Duty Intervene
- Limit No-Knock Warrants
- Sentencing Commission
Incarcerated:
- Ban Juvenile Life without Parole
- Good Time
- Medical Parole
- End Solitary Confinement
- Expand MDOC Oversight
- Scholarships for Incarcerated Citizens
- Prison Body Cams
- Second Look
- Productivity Credits
- Eliminate Prison Co-pays
- FOIA Access Restoration
- Reduce Phone Fees
- End Prison Gerrymandering
Re-entry:
- Vital Docs
- Fair Housing
These biweekly planning sessions occur every other Wednesday from 2 pm to 3 pm EST via Zoom. To ensure you receive timely notifications, please provide your contact information for inclusion in planning session notices. You can join the meeting using the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85915514631
We firmly believe that by uniting behind these strategies, we can affect meaningful change in our criminal justice system. Your support and collaboration are crucial to our success.
Warm regards,
The Coalition