MI-CEMI Publishes a regular email digest of key legislative and policy updates as well as recent media coverage of criminal legal issues. To subscribe email mail@mi-cemi.org with the subject line “Bill tracker subscription”.
Key updates: 2/17/2024
Youth Defense Bills Reintroduced: One of the biggest heartbreaks last session was that the juvenile defense bill, which passed both chambers, didn’t move on to the governor’s desk due to a technical problem in lame duck. This bill would allow the Michigan Indigent Defense Committee to establish standards for legal representation for kids in the juvenile justice system. These bills have just been reintroduced in the Senate (SB 081) and House (HB 4070). The Senate version is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, February 20th in the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety at noon.
Bill Tracker
See full list of 2025-2026 bills with commentary.
2/10/2025 update
- Budget Proposal: The Governor’s office released the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. Here are some of the highlights:
- Prison:
- Peer Recovery Coaches: $6.6 million to provide peer recovery coaches in prisons, and parole and probation offices (general fund). Through their shared, lived experiences, these peer recovery coaches help prisoners and returning citizens with substance use disorder attain their recovery goals and improved offender success outcomes.
- Count modernization: $3.4 million to automate processes used for prisoner counts and assignments (general fund) to modernize operations from a paper-based tracking system and improve efficiency within prisons (we haven’t had a chance to look into the details of this. Previous versions raised concerns from some MI-CEMI members).
- Community Reentry: $40 million for the community reentry of incarcerated individuals ($20 million general fund) to provide coverage starting 90 days before an individual’s scheduled release. This will allow for health screenings and other services prior to reentry to identify key health needs and social determinants to facilitate a successful transition. Investing in these transition services will help improve health outcomes and access to community services, all of which will reduce recidivism.
- Housing: $2 million to support the development of transitional housing projects (general fund) ensuring returning citizens have stable housing upon their return to support their successful reentry.
- Probation Support: $1.5 million to expand community support services for probationers (general fund), including transportation, economic stability and job placement, and physical and behavioral health.
- Higher Education: $750,000 to expand the availability of postsecondary education programs (general fund), which helps to reduce recidivism and increase employment and wages among returning citizens.
- Healthcare costs: The proposed budget anticipates a 25% increase in prison healthcare copays.
- Prison:
- Police
- Violence Prevention Trust Fund: $75 million for Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund (sales tax revenue) in both fiscal year 2026 and a fiscal year 2025 supplemental to support public safety initiatives and services in cities, villages, and townships. Funds will be distributed in proportion to violent crime data collected by the Michigan State Police. Nearly $6.5 million will also be used to augment existing community violence intervention grants and the crime victims’ rights fund within the Department of Health and Human Services. (Note: The trust fund requires enabling legislation. Leaders in both parties have indicated support for establishing a trust fund. MI-CEMI member organizations have had different perspectives on the trust fund last cycle. Some support the stable funding for non-police violence intervention; others have concerns that the funds can be used to increase police numbers).
- State Police Hiring: The budget recommendation supports the hiring and training of 120 Michigan State Police troopers, strengthening the state’s ability to respond to emergencies and enforce laws.
- Courts:
- SADO: $2.3 million for additional personnel for State Appellate Defender’s Office (general fund) to continue the planned, phased implementation of workload standards for attorney and non-attorney staff developed in concert with similar workload standards for trial level public defenders through the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.
- Court Records: $7.2 million for the continuing rollout of the statewide judicial case management system (general fund) for additional personnel and operational costs as trial courts migrate from locally managed, locally funded case management systems to the state system. (Note: this system allows for better review of bias among judicial cases).
- Problem Solving Courts: $1.6 million in additional support for problem-solving courts (general fund), supporting trial court programs that aim to address the underlying substance abuse or mental health issues that contribute to criminal behavior by focusing on treatment and supervision as an alternative to incarceration. Funds will support existing programs, build the capacity of the State Court Administrative Office, and allow for the establishment of new problem-solving courts.
- Indigent Defense Transparency: $769,100 to increase transparency for Michigan indigent defense standards (general fund) associated with 4.0 additional positions in support of planning and increased financial oversight over the state’s 120 local indigent defense systems. The Governor’s recommendation maintains the annual appropriation for local indigent defense system grants at $258.3 million.