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…
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:
When Shameka Layton was fourteen, she left a dysfunctional household and never returned. She met a fellow runaway named Walter who had left a group home in search of his parents and siblings. Walter soon began drinking and selling drugs, which resulted in him becoming abusive towards Shameka.
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, we’re finally seeing real momentum for meaningful policing reform in Michigan. A bipartisan group of state senators has introduced the Police Practices Standardization, Transparency, and Trust (S.T.A.T.) package, a set of eleven bills shaped by years of community advocacy to increase transparency, accountability, and public trust in policing.…
The Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration (MI-CEMI), which serves over 115 member organizations working to improve public safety and end mass incarceration, established the following policy priorities for 2025–2026. These priorities were shaped through deep collaboration among justice-impacted leaders and organizations across the state, reflecting a range of political perspectives, lived experiences, and roles…
Earlier this month, the Michigan Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in People v. Czarnecki and People v. Taylor, holding that mandatory life without parole (LWOP) sentences for people who were 19 or 20 at the time of the offense are unconstitutional—and that this decision applies retroactively. Combined with the People v. Poole ruling (affirming resentencing rights for 18-year-olds sentenced…