How can short-form video help organizations share their message? Watch MI-CEMI’s Communications Roundtable for a conversation about using short videos to connect with audiences and support nonprofit communications. Join us for our next MI-CEMI Communications Roundtable on December 10 for Documentary Filmmaking Part Two. Bring your questions and ideas as we continue the conversation about…
What does education inside prison make possible after someone comes home? MI-CEMI’s Prison Programming Providers Table welcomed Adam Grant of Grand Valley State University and 4C Consulting Services for a conversation about how prison education and programming can build skills, confidence, and connections that support successful reentry. The session explored Grand Valley State University’s programs…
Earlier this year, the Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration (MI-CEMI) joined advocates, service providers, community organizations, government partners, and formerly incarcerated leaders at the fifth annual Reentry United Conference at Grand Valley State University. Hosted by Michigan Works! West Central and its partners, the conference brought together people from across Michigan to share approaches…
Our partners at Citizens for Prison Reform are making progress on oversight — Michigan House leadership has scheduled a committee hearing for two bills that would strengthen and expand the work of the Office of the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman. You can support these bills by
Missed our June Communications Convening? You can now watch the full recording and join the conversation at our next event on September 17th. On June 24, MI-CEMI hosted “Documentary Storytelling: Using Film to Advance Advocacy & Narrative Change,” a virtual discussion exploring how documentary filmmaking can elevate lived experience, shift public narratives, and strengthen advocacy…
Michigan has an opportunity to remove some of the most common barriers people face after incarceration. The ID Upon Release bill package (5474, 5475, 5476, 5477) would ensure that people coming home post-incarceration have the identification documents they need to find a job, rent an apartment, and open a bank account. The Reentry Services bills (HB 4211/ SB 592) would ensure that…
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…