Media coverage of recent deaths at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (WHV) have intensified concerns about systemic problems across Michigan prisons. MI-CEMI and coalition partners are identifying short-, medium-, and long-term actions to improve safety, transparency, healthcare access, and accountability across the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). No single action can address the confluence of…
What Does Supporting Programming Look Like? Providers across Michigan spend enormous time navigating barriers to meaningful prison programming: staffing shortages, inconsistent access, communication gaps, policy limitations, volunteer burnout, funding instability, and uneven opportunities between facilities. But what if we stepped back from the day-to-day barriers and asked a larger question? If Michigan truly prioritized rehabilitation,…
Employment is one of the most critical components of successful reentry, but access is not equal. Too often, those leaving prison face stigma, policy barriers, and a lack of support when trying to find meaningful work. MI-CEMI’s Reentry Table, Employment Opportunities & Pathways to Work, brought together advocates, workforce development leaders, and community members for…
The Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration (MI-CEMI) opposes construction of new prisons, jails, or immigration detention facilities in the state of Michigan and the reopening of shuttered prison facilities for incarceration or immigration detention. MI-CEMI supports efforts to improve conditions of confinement at prisons and detention facilities and prioritizes efforts to reduce the number…
Earlier this month, MI-CEMI’s Program Coordinator, Michael Taylor, returned to prison for the first time since coming home, joining the Reentry United event at Carson City Correctional Facility. What began as a surreal experience quickly became a powerful reminder of the importance of hope, connection, and the fight to bring people home. Reuniting with men…
Budget Negotiation Call To Action The governor, House, and Senate have finalized their proposals for the 2026-2027 budget year. While there are parts to celebrate (maintained funding for reentry community services, no cuts to prison food, etc.), there are significant cuts that cause concern. As lawmakers negotiate the final budget, we call on them to:…
Women incarcerated at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility have issued a solutions-driven open letter calling on Governor Whitmer to grant clemency to at least 100 women before the end of her term. The women are recommending the Women’s Clemency and Resentencing Initiative, a three-phase plan developed by women inside WHV that would: