LANSING — A bill package in the state Legislature would reward prisoners for undertaking productive programming while incarcerated.
The proposals would award productivity credits — days off of a sentence — to those that complete educational or vocational programs while incarcerated. Credits for all prisoners are limited to 20% of their sentence.
Prisoners could get up to 100 days off for remaining in a program for five months, 90 days off for completing a program and 120 days off for earning a high school diploma.
Supporters say the proposals would reward good behavior and encourage prisoners to develop skills that can serve them in life.
“90% of the people in Michigan prisons are going to come back to our communities at some point,” said David Guenthner, VP of government affairs for the Mackinac Center. “And the question is, what do we want them to do when they come back?”
The credits do not apply to anyone sentenced to life in prison without parole. They also don’t apply to those convicted of sex crimes, repeated domestic violence, murder or aggravated stalking.
The legislation would go into effect in 2026 and would not be retroactive, meaning only those sentenced after its enactment would be eligible for credits.
Supporters say the proposals reinforce the rehabilitative efforts of America’s criminal justice system and allow convicts to better contribute to society upon release.
“The primary purpose of productivity credits is not to speed people to release,” Guenthner said. “It’s about to provide the incentives to where people are taking the time in prison to get the skills and education they need to be successful upon their release and their return to their communities.”
Over 40 other states have some kind of productivity credit system, also known as ‘good time credits.’
“Michigan is an outlier in not providing incentives to inmates who use their time in prison engaged in activities that are proven to reduce their likelihood of returning to prison,” Guenthner added.
Opponents say the proposals run counter to the rights of crime victims.
“Rehabilitation is an important part of the process, but another important part of the process is justice for victims and also protecting the community — and those processes are all in place right now under the current system,” said J. Dee Brooks, president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.
Opponents also say that Michigan’s current sentencing system leaves plenty of room for rewarding good behavior.
“We have indeterminate sentencing, so you have a minimum and a maximum sentence, and when you serve the minimum sentence, that’s when you’re eligible for early release,” Brooks said. “We have sentencing guidelines and we have presumptive parole, which in fact, causes most of the people to be released on their earliest possible date.”
The package passed with modest bipartisan support in the Senate and will now be considered by the House, which has two remaining session days scheduled.
it remains unclear what policies will be voted on, following a Republican walkout late last week and rifts between Democratic lawmakers and House leadership. Any bills not passed by both chambers and signed by the governor will be discarded at the end of the year.
