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Corrections Growth: A Long-Term Analysis of Growth in Michigan’s Department of Corrections

This analysis explores the long-term growth of Michigan's Department of Corrections, including factors contributing to prison population growth, the impact on the budget and workforce, and comparisons to national and Great Lakes states.

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Corrections Growth: A Long-Term Analysis of Growth in Michigan’s Department of Corrections

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  1. Corrections Growth:A Long-Term Analysis of Growth inMichigan’s Department of Corrections Balancing Our Priorities: Can We Safely Spend Less on Corrections? May 2, 2008

  2. Citizens Research Council of Michigan • Founded in 1916 • Statewide • Non-partisan • Private not-for-profit • Promotes sound policy for state and local governments through factual research – accurate, independent and objective • Relies on charitable contributions of Michigan foundations, businesses, and individuals • www.crcmich.org

  3. One Theme in Michigan Corrections Since 1973: Growth • Michigan’s prison population has grown by 538 percent in the last 34 years • Department of Corrections expenditure and workforce sizes have reached record levels • Michigan is an outlier in national and Great Lakes states Corrections comparisons • Looking forward, prison populations and Corrections expenditures are projected to rise

  4. Michigan’s Prison Population Growth: 1973-2007 Source: Michigan Department of Corrections Statistical Reports, Michigan Department of Corrections 2008 Prison Population Projection Report

  5. What Causes Prison Population Growth? • The number of prisoners entering prison increases • The length of time prisoners remain incarcerated increases

  6. What Causes Prison Population Growth? In Michigan, Both Have Increased • The number of prisoners entering prison has increased due to: • Swelling annual felony dispositions • Increasing recidivism rates • More technical rule violators • The length of time prisoners remain incarcerated has increased due to: • Decreasing parole approval rates • Policy changes aimed at being ‘tough on crime’ (e.g. removing disciplinary credits and stiffer sentencing guidelines)

  7. Felony Disposition Status of Michigan’s Reported Crimes: 1976-2006 Source: Department of Corrections Statistical Reports, FBI Uniform Crime Reports (Data Compiled by The Disaster Center Website)

  8. Prison Commitments: 1976-2006 Source: Michigan Department of Corrections Statistical Reports

  9. Recidivism and Parole Approval Rates: 1976-2004 Source: Michigan Department of Corrections Statistical Reports, Department of Corrections MPRI Quarterly Status Report July 2007

  10. Prisoners Serving Past Parole Eligibility*: 1988, 1997, and 2006 31% 28% 17% *Prisoners with parolable life sentences are not included in the ‘Serving Past Eligibility’ category Source: Michigan Department of Corrections MPRI Quarterly Status Report July 2007, Department of Corrections Research Section May 1995, Department of Corrections Five Years After Report September 1997

  11. Michigan’s Estimated Average Length of Stay: 1981-2005 Source: CRC Calculations, U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics Annual Releases Spreadsheet

  12. How Does Prison Population Growth Affect Michigan’s Budget?

  13. The Fiscal Effects of Sustained Prison Population Growth • Corrections expenditures increased by nearly 5,000 percent in the last 34 years from $38 million to roughly $2 billion • Michigan Corrections spending grew from 1.6 percent of total GF/GP expenditures in FY1973 to 21.5 percent by FY2007 • Since FY2000, Corrections spending has “crowded out” spending on other major GF/GP programs

  14. Corrections and GF/GP Expenditures Compared to CPI: FY73-FY07 Source: Michigan Department of Civil Service, CRC calculations, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  15. The Effects of Sustained Prison Population Growth on the State Workforce • There were roughly 7 times more Corrections employees in 2006 than in 1973 • The percentage of the state classified workforce employed in Corrections rose from 5 percent in 1973 to 32 percent in 2006

  16. State Classified Workforce: FY73-FY06 Source: Michigan Department of Civil Service

  17. The Effects of Sustained Prison Population Growth on Correctional Facilities • There were 31 more correctional facilities, prisons and camps, in Michigan in 2006 than in 1976 • Michigan has exceeded its year-end net operating capacity in 16 of the last 30 years

  18. Prison Facilities, Population*, Net Operating Capacity: 1976-2006 *Annual prison population numbers do not include participants in the MDOC community residential program. Source: Michigan Department of Corrections Statistical Reports

  19. National and Great Lakes States Comparisons When compared to the U.S. and Great Lakes states averages, Michigan: • has higher incarceration rates • has lower prison admissions rates • has a substantially longer average prisoner length of stay • spends the largest percentage of its total state expenditures on Corrections

  20. Michigan, U.S., and Great Lakes States Incarceration Rates: 1977-2006 Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics

  21. Michigan, U.S., and Great Lakes States Admissions Rates: 1977-2005 Source: CRC Calculations, U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics Annual Admissions Spreadsheet

  22. Michigan, U.S., and Great Lakes States Estimated Average Length of Stay: 1981-2005 Source: CRC Calculations, U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics Annual Releases Spreadsheet

  23. What if Michigan’s Average Prisoner Length of Stay was one year less each year from 1990 to 2005? • There would have been roughly 14,000 fewer Michigan prisoners in 2005 • Michigan’s 2005 incarceration rate would drop from 489 prisoners per 100,000 residents to 351 • At a cost of $28,743 per prisoner, Michigan’s 2005 Corrections expenditures would decrease by $403 million • There would have been approximately 4,700 fewer Corrections employees in 2005 (assuming the prisoners to employee ratio remained the same)

  24. Michigan, U.S., and Great Lakes States Incarceration and Spending Comparisons 2005 *Numbers displayed in red are smaller than Michigan’s corresponding number. Source: Pew Charitable Trusts Public Safety, Public Spending, Forecasting America’s Prison Population 2007-2011; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2005; National Association of State Budget Officers, 2006 State Expenditure Report

  25. What Does the Future Hold for Michigan Corrections?

  26. Five Years From Now • Michigan’s prison population is projected to grow by 5,800 prisoners in the next five years • By 2012 Michigan’s incarceration rate is projected to be 559 • CRC projects annual spending pressures to reach $2.6 billion by 2012

  27. Historical and Projected Prison Populations and Expenditures Source: CRC Calculations, Michigan Department of Corrections Statistical Reports, Michigan Department of Corrections 2008 Prison Population Projection Report

  28. Citizens Research Council of Michigan CRC Publications available at www.crcmich.org Providing Independent, Nonpartisan Public Policy Research Since 1916

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