Michigan Department of Corrections
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The Michigan Department of Corrections oversees prisons and other correctional facilities in the state of Michigan, USA. It has some 43 prison facilities, 10 camps and a Special Alternative Incarceration program, together composing approximately 50,000 inmates. Another 72,000 probationers and parolees are under its supervision. (2003 figures)
The field services of the department have been criticized for refusing to let parole agents properly supervise their dangerous offenders by making visits to offenders homes mandatory, but failing to provide any protection to the agent (i.e. ballistic vest, firearm, taser, etc.), blaming the budget crisis for this omittion, and several other shortcomings. In addition, in Wayne and Oakland Counties, it is not uncommon for parolees to incur new sentences while under parole supervision, and receive probation for their crime. The field services division fails to return the offender to prison, essentially allowing a "free felony" to take place, as parole and probation supervision run concurrently and add no additional supervision to the offender. The supervising agents are left powerless to contain or control the offender in a situation such as this. Drug use is also highly tolerated among those offenders under community supervision. Ineffective out-patient drug classes and poorly run live-in rehab classes are the limit of the actions the department takes in regards to convicts on parole.
The department has initiated a prisoner re-entry act, with the intent of re-intregating convicts into society so that they may lead a life free of crime. Offenders who have participated in the program state that the resources are non-exsistant, and the opportunities afforded by these re-intigration programs are minimal and poorly funded. In addition, it is the opinion of many in the department that this ill-planned program is another fruitless attempt to spend minimal monies, and gain maximum benefit.
