Crime in Michigan is at a 30-year low. According to a study released in The Detroit News, prison spending and prison populations are increasing at alarming rates - with no end in sight. While the low crime rate can be at least partly attributed to an increasing prison population, Michigan prisons cannot continue to sustain the overflow of prisoners. I think now is the time for the state to examine alternate methods of punishing and …showed first 75 words of 506 total…

…showed last 75 words of 506 total…criminals, but teach them new skills, this in turn reduces the number of repeat offenders. the prison population has more than tripled in two decades, and allocations to the Department of Corrections now take up one-sixth of the state's general fund. This trend cannot continue without harming other state programs, including education. Now is the time for the state to reform its prison system by eliminating mandatory-minimums and increasing treatment and rehabilitation programs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**