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| House narrows, approves ‘4 strikes’ bill on felons |
| By bridgemi.com - Nancy Derringer/Bridge Magazine |
| Published: 09/18/2012 |
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Michigan -- Concerns about prison costs this year have not deterred the Legislature’s appetite to tweak Michigan sentencing rules. Last week, the Senate, following the House, approved a version of a “four strikes” bill designed to put violent offenders behind bars for a minimum sentence of 25 years. Senate Bill 1109 passed the House last week on a vote of 98-10, after a different version cleared the Senate 32-5 earlier in the year. The bill goes back to the Senate for consideration of the changes. The measures incorporates a “4 strikes and you’re out” concept touted by Attorney General Bill Schuette last winter which called for a mandatory 25-year sentence for a violent crime perpetrated by a criminal who has committed three previous felonies. In the first reaction to Schuette’s proposal, the state Corrections Department estimated a potential increase in spending at up to $1 billion. As the legislation was drafted and amended, the price tag has fallen. A Senate Fiscal Agency analysis in May estimated the law will require an extra 7,374 beds by 25 years post-enactment, at an annual cost of $250.7 million. A House version, which more narrowly targets offenders, is pegged at a 25-year cost of just under $15 million, assuming 672 additional prison beds are needed by then. Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said the price is worth the cost of a safer public. Read More. |
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