News

  • Common Sense Policing Reform Needs Your Voice

    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 S.T.A.T. package (Senate Bills 333–343) would:

    • Standardize use-of-force policies across the state (SB 333)
    • Require training in de-escalation, crisis response, and implicit bias (SB 334)
    • Mandate a duty to intervene to prevent excessive force (SB 335)
    • Limit no-knock warrants and clarify when they can be used (SB 336)

    Take Action Today

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    Robyn Reiter

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  • Join Us for the First Quarterly Reentry Table – October 14

    We’re excited to launch the Quarterly Reentry Table, a new space for connection, collaboration, and action among people and organizations working to support successful reentry in Michigan.

    Kickoff Session Details:

    • Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
    • Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET
    • Location: Virtual on Zoom (link will be emailed upon RSVP)
    • Audience: Reentry service providers, formerly incarcerated individuals, and advocates

    This kickoff session will bring together service providers, directly impacted people, and advocates to:

    • Build connections across the reentry field
    • Share insights on reentry successes and challenges
    • Explore how this quarterly gathering can best serve participants moving forward

    Your perspective is essential in shaping this new collaborative space.

    RSVP below to join the conversation:

    We look forward to connecting with you on October 14.

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    Robyn Reiter

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  • Next Up: Prison Programming Providers Table | August 5 at 12PM

    At MI-CEMI, we know that robust peer-led and volunteer programming inside Michigan prisons is essential for meaningful rehabilitation and successful community reentry. To continue strengthening and expanding these critical programs, we’re bringing together providers, advocates, and individuals with direct programming experience for our quarterly Prison Programming Providers Table.

    Join us virtually on Tuesday, August 5th, from 12:00–1:30 PM ET on Zoom for an interactive discussion about the current landscape of programming inside Michigan’s correctional facilities.

    In this session, we’ll introduce our newly developed statewide map of existing programs, highlighting where programming thrives and where gaps remain. Following this overview, participants will break into role-specific small groups—Providers, Advocates, and Program-Experienced individuals—to collectively examine assets, barriers, and opportunities for growth.

    As always, we’ll create space to report back as a full group and identify actionable next steps for expanding high-quality programming statewide.

    Your insights are essential to this conversation.

    Register now

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    Robyn Reiter

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  • Draconian Resentencing Bills Advance Despite Broad Opposition

    A package of resentencing legislation—House Bills 4506, 4507, and 4508, introduced by Rep. Sarah Lightner—is moving forward in the Michigan House after a Judiciary Committee vote on June 25. The bills would establish harsh new sentencing minimums in response to recent Michigan Supreme Court rulings that prohibited mandatory life without parole sentences for individuals who were 19 or 20 years old at the time of their offense.

    Rather than honoring the Court’s direction for meaningful resentencing, the bills propose:

    • Minimum sentences between 35 and 50 years
    • Maximum sentences of at least 80 years
    • Mandatory consecutive sentences for related offenses

    MI-CEMI opposes these bills, which would sharply restrict judicial discretion and entrench extreme sentencing practices that have already been found unconstitutional by the state’s highest court.

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    Robyn Reiter

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  • What’s at Stake in Michigan’s Prison Communications Contract

    The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) is finalizing a new statewide contract that will govern how people in prison make phone calls, send messages, participate in video visits, and access tablets.

    This decision will shape how thousands of people stay connected to loved ones—and MI-CEMI is urging the state to get it right.

    Alongside several advocacy partners, MI-CEMI submitted a formal memo responding to the current Request for Services (RFS‑171‑250000002079‑4). Our message was clear: communication systems must be affordable, accessible, and designed to serve—not exploit—incarcerated people and their families.

    Key Recommendations from MI-CEMI’s Memo:

    • Require competitive pricing and meaningful cost transparency.
    • Eliminate predatory fees that place undue financial strain on low-income families.
    • Ensure all services—calls, messaging, tablets, and video visits—are accessible regardless of income or location.
    • Uphold strong privacy protections, especially for legal calls and personal conversations.
    • Involve directly impacted people and community stakeholders in evaluating vendor proposals.
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    Robyn Reiter

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