LANSING – House Democrats today passed a plan that will give Michigan law enforcement officers the tools they need to crack down on criminals who violate their parole.
"This is about keeping our communities safe," said State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). "When criminals violate the terms of their parole, they show that they still do not respect the law. They need to be taken off the streets."
The House plan puts $1 million in a Michigan State Police program to catch parole violators.
"Safe communities are a priority," said State Representative Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing). "Businesses want to locate in communities where crime rates are low and the quality of life is high. This plan will help keep our communities safe and our economy strong."
According to the Urban Institute on Community Supervision and Reentry, the number of people returned to state prison for a parole violation has increased sevenfold in the last two decades, from 27,000 in 1980 to 203,000 in 2000. Parole violators, who accounted for 17 percent of state prison admissions in 1980, accounted for over one-third of all admissions in 1999.
"A person who violates their parole is breaking the law – it's as simple as that," said State Representative Joan Bauer (D-Lansing). "The House plan will give our law enforcement officers the resources they need to make our communities safer."