Michigan’s participation in the NIC’s Transition from Prison to the Community (TPC) Initiative began in 2003, and is known as the {{Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative (MPRI)}}. Michigan has received technical assistance from the National Governors Association (NGA) in addition to NIC, and has a goal of having the entire state involved in the MPRI Model by October 2007.
The VISION of the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative is that every prisoner released from prison will have the tools needed to succeed in the community.
The MISSION of the MPRI is to reduce crime by implementing a seamless plan of services and supervision developed with each offender—delivered through state and local collaboration—from the time of their entry to prison through their transition, reintegration, and aftercare in the community.
The GOALS of the MPRI are to:
- Promote public safety by reducing the threat of harm to persons and their property by released offenders in the communities to which those offenders return.
- Increase success rates of offenders who transition from prison by fostering effective risk management and treatment programming, offender accountability, and community and victim participation.
Team Leadership Structure
The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) provides the management staff for the MPRI under its Policy and Strategic Planning, Field Operations, and Correctional Facilities Administrations. The MPRI is organized under the Governor’s Office and is overseen by a State Policy Team (SPT) comprised of top-level leaders in five state departments. The Governor’s criminal justice policy advisor chairs the Team. The five principal departments of the SPT and their focus areas include:
- Department of Corrections: Prisoner custody, education, training; parole decision process; and parolee supervision.
- Department of Community Health: Physical and mental health; alcohol and drug addiction services.
- Department of Labor and Economic Growth: Housing, adult education, vocational training, employment preparation, and employment services.
- Department of Human Service: Family and child welfare.
- Department of Education: Education for former prisoners and their children.
Early Targets of Change
MPRI is a statewide strategic approach to create safer neighborhoods and better citizens. The impact of the MPRI will be reduced crime, fewer victims, safer neighborhoods, better citizens, fewer returns to prison, and reduced costs.
The lynchpin of the MPRI Model is the development and use of the Transition Accountability Plan (TAP) at four critical points in the prisoner transition process. The TAP serves as a concise guide for prisoners, former prisoners, corrections and field staff and community service providers.
Since better offender parole plans will result from the MPRI, the parole approval rate is expected to increase modestly without jeopardizing public safety and the parole success rate will increase as the MPRI is implemented and expanded statewide.
Assessment Strategy
The MPRI has focused on assessment and classification by incorporating approaches to fully respond to assessed risk, needs, and strengths through a Transition Accountability Plan (TAP). The MPRI uses an assessment instrument (COMPAS) that integrates many of the elements of risk, needs, and strengths into a single assessment. Effective assessment and classification, and the TAP form the MPRI Model. COMPAS addresses the variables and key principles for assessment that underlie the Initiative, and is based on research that shows what works to reduce recidivism. This evidence-based approach is critical and fundamental to the implementation of the full MPRI Model.
Survival Needs
Highly specific re-entry plans are developed for all returning prisoners to ensure the provision of critical services such as housing, employment, and treatment for mental illness.
Pre-Release Planning
Based on offender risks, needs, and strengths, a coordinated package of services, programs, and interventions will be provided to help improve offender success in transitioning back into and staying in society.
Case Planning and Management
Under the MPRI Model, the TAP is prepared with each prisoner at reception as part of the prison intake process ()MPRI Phase I), as part of the parole decision process when the prisoner is approaching his or her Earliest Release Date (MPRI Phase II), when the prisoner re-enters the community (MPRI Phase III), and when the former prisoner is to be discharged from parole supervision (MPRI Phase IV).
- Phase 1: The expectations for the prison term that will help prisoners prepare for release.
- Phase II: The terms and conditions of prisoner release to communities.
- Phase III: The supervision and services former prisoners will experience in the community.
- Phase IV: The elements of the Case Management Plan for eventual discharge from parole.
Innovative Partnerships
The plan for statewide implementation of the MPRI Model is structured with more than a dozen local MPRI sites.
At the local level, Community Coordinators work with local teams, stimulate local partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations, and provide administration of each MPRI site within a predetermined jurisdiction. The local sites include the counties of:
- Berrien
- Genesee
- Capital Area (Ingham, Clinton, Eaton)
- Kent
- Calhoun
- Jackson
- Muskegon
- Oakland
- Kalamazoo
- Macomb
- Wayne
- Nine-County Area in Northern Michigan
- Saginaw
- St. Clair
- Washtenaw
By 2007, the MPRI will be implemented statewide and will include all jurisdictions heavily influenced by prisoner reentry.
MPRI sites are organized under a local governance structure made up of a Steering Team, Administrative Agency, Board of Directors, Advisory Council, MPRI Prison Facility Coordination Team, MPRI Field Operations Coordination Team, and a Community Coordinator.
The goals of the local governance structure are to:
- Provide as much statewide consistency as possible in the implementation of the MPRI Model while protecting local control by the MPRI Steering Team and other stakeholders.
- Provide protection from legal liability to local stakeholders involved in the MPRI process through their involvement in formal and established administrative structures.
- Ensure that key decisions about the design, the implementation and the oversight of the local MPRI Comprehensive Plans are part of a formal, clear and open process that involves community leaders, representatives from the Michigan Department of Corrections, local elected and appointed officials, and citizens who support the crime fighting goals of the MPRI.
- Provide an effective forum to conduct public education about the MPRI.
The MPRI is funded in part by the JEHT Foundation and the MDOC. The initiative is a collaborative effort administered through a public and private partnership of State departments, including the Department of Corrections, Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Department of Community Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Public Policy Associates, Inc., and the Michigan Council on Crime & Delinquency.
Performance Measurement
Key outcome measures to determine the success of MPRI include:
- Reducing recidivism as defined by a return to prison during the term of parole.
- Increasing the time between release and failure.
- Reducing the number of violations of supervision conditions by parolees.
One interim objective is to increase the parole approval rate by 2% each year as the parole board gains confidence in release outcomes. Another objective is to increase the success rate of MPRI participants by 6% by the end of FY 2006, and eventually by as much as 10% statewide when the MPRI Model is fully implemented.
Technical Assistance from NIC
Since Michigan’s participation in the TPC Initiative began, NIC has been providing technical assistance through its Cooperative Agreement Partner—the Center for Effective Public Policy. CEPP provides orientation on the TPC model, information, cross-site communication, periodic workshops for participating sites, and supports a portion of the work of a site coordinator on the PPA staff who is assigned to support MPRI.