The Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council (JRAC) has released its 2022 Report, which incorporates feedback from the public that helped to guide the JRAC in implementing policy and practice changes, developing educational materials, supporting justice system practitioners, and monitoring performance measures.
“The work of the Council reflected in this new report reinforces Michigan as a national leader in bringing together diverse stakeholders and using data-based solutions to improve our criminal justice system,” said JRAC Chair Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget M. McCormack. “These reforms are already making a difference by helping thousands of drivers restore their licenses so they can get their lives back on track and by helping our justice institutions operate more efficiently.”
Report highlights include:
• Implementation of the 2020 Michigan Jail Reforms – The JRAC guided courts, law enforcement, attorneys, and other stakeholders on best practices for implementing the reforms. As a result of the new laws, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) made changes to 348,893 driving records, which resulted in 154,326 Michigan residents getting their driver’s licenses back.
• Training and Education – The JRAC provided training opportunities on jail reforms to justice system partners throughout the state, including judges and court staff, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, prosecuting attorneys, and criminal defense attorneys.
• Stakeholder Surveys – The JRAC distributed a survey to attorneys across the state that explored the amount of training attorneys received on the reforms, their specific knowledge of the reforms, and their experiences practicing since the reforms took effect. The survey results suggest that attorneys do have at least a very basic understanding of the reforms, but additional training and education would help them more
fully understand the impact of the reforms.
• Measurable Outcomes and Data Challenges – After encountering limitations in data collection and obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the JRAC will defer to the Wayne State Center for Behavioral Health and Justice to recreate the original data analysis that supported the work of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration (Jail Task Force).
• Recommendations—
1. Establish unified data and case management systems for courts and jails;
2. Further explore judicial officers and law enforcement’s knowledge of reforms;
3. Provide additional training for judges, attorneys, and law enforcement;
4. Establish a new body to review and to act on the findings of the Jail Task Force; and,
5. Establish support for expedited appeals on decisions that are time-sensitive.
The report also includes nearly 30 pages of public comments, as well as attorney feedback from the stakeholder surveys.
The JRAC is an advisory body made up of 19 members representing various stakeholders within the justice system that facilitates, assists with, monitors, and evaluates the successful implementation of jail reform legislation throughout the state of Michigan. Per Executive Order No. 2021-5, the Council set to dissolve on March 31, 2023.
To learn more about the JRAC and jail reform in Michigan, visit www.courts.michigan.gov/administration/special-initiatives/jail-advisory-council.
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