Tag: public safety

  • Incarceration Prevention and Public Safety Learning Community

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    Jen Szenay

    The Incarceration Prevention and Public Safety Learning Community is a statewide network of advocates, organizers, service providers, researchers, practitioners, and community leaders working to reduce reliance on incarceration and advance community-based approaches to public safety. Meeting quarterly, the Learning Community provides a space for those actively engaged in public safety, diversion, restorative justice, violence prevention,…

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  • The Crisis at WHV Is Bigger Than One Prison

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    Jen Szenay

    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…

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  • Investing in a Safer Michigan: FY2027 Budget Recommendations

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    Jen Szenay

    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:…

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  • Mass Convening: Dreaming Forward & Organizing Power

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    Jen Szenay

    Join abolitionist practitioners, organizers, and community members from across Michigan for a full-day Mass Convening focused on dreaming forward and organizing power. This gathering will build on the launch of Reimagining Safety Michigan by bringing together those committed to advancing a culture of care, community accountability, and systems transformation. Together, we will deepen relationships, explore…

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  • Reimagining Safety: Kick-off & Training

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    Jen Szenay

    Join us as we publicly launch Reimagining Safety Michigan, a statewide effort building a bold vision for a Michigan rooted in care, collective governance, and community accountability — not policing and prisons. This Kick-off & Training will introduce a powerful set of tools and resources developed over the past year and a half by nine…

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  • 2025-2026 Criminal Justice Reform Agenda

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    Chuck Warpehoski

    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…

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  • Investing in a Safer Michigan Budget Recommendations

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    Chuck Warpehoski

    Today a coalition of organizations released their 2026 Michigan Budget Recommendations to Invest in Crime Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Reentry. Tell your lawmaker to support the budget recommendations. With Michigan seeing record low rates of violent crime and low rates of recidivism, the FY2026 budget is an opportunity to double down on the programs that prevent…

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  • MI Statewide Violence and Incarceration Prevention Learning Community: Specialty Courts Discussion

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    Chuck Warpehoski

    This month, the MI Statewide Violence and Incarceration Prevention Learning Community continues our deep dive into incarceration prevention by exploring specialty courts. These courts—such as drug courts, veterans courts, and mental health courts—offer alternatives to incarceration by connecting participants to services and support. Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2025 Time: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST But…

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  • Michigan Violence and Incarceration Prevention Learning Community Session on Diversion

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    Chuck Warpehoski

    Often someone’s involvement in the criminal legal system is the result of underlying problems like poverty, mental illness, or substance use disorder. Arrest, jail, and prison don’t address these underlying problems, and as our friends at Michigan Liberation remind us, “You can’t get well in a cell.” Many sessions in our learning community have focused…

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