Hundreds of Michiganders are trapped behind bars for life due to deaths they did not intentionally cause
Today, the Sentencing Project and Fair and Just Prosecution released an extensive analysis of Michigan’s fundamentally flawed felony murder laws. Felony murder occurs when a person participates in a felony, such as a robbery, that results in someone’s death. The report, Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing, explains that hundreds of Michiganders are locked behind bars their entire lives due to deaths that they did not directly cause or intend to cause.
The report finds that in Michigan:
• One-quarter of people serving life without parole (LWOP) were convicted of felony murder.
• Over 1,000 Michiganders are now serving mandatory LWOP sentences for felony murder, despite a 1980 requirement to prove a minimum culpable mental state of wanton disregard for life.
• 57 of the 203 women serving LWOP were convicted of felony murder.
The report also includes stories like that of Jamie Meade, who was just 19 when he was sentenced to life without parole for felony murder. Under the influence of marijuana and alcohol, Meade and his co-defendant planned to rob an acquaintance, but his co-defendant’s gun accidentally discharged and killed the victim. Meade has since served 28 years behind bars. The now-retired Third Circuit Court of Michigan Judge Sharon Tevis Finch, who sentenced Meade, now supports his release.
Meade has turned to education and faith during his time in prison. Meade earned a Bachelor of Arts from Adams State University. He is currently pursuing an MBA from the same institution, as well as a Master of Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary.
“The penalties for felony murder are nothing short of egregious. The criminal legal system loses legitimacy when someone can be sentenced to life without parole for simply being in the same room as a person who took a life,” said Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D., Senior Research Analyst at The Sentencing Project and lead author of the report. “There is no possible justification for this kind of extreme punishment.”
“For far too long, felony murder laws have been used to lock people up and throw away the key, disproportionately affecting young people and women of color. These extreme sentences come at tremendous human and financial costs and are at odds with practices in many other parts of the world. Yet they continue to be perpetuated in our country, with no evidence that they deter crime or promote public safety,” said Miriam Krinsky, Executive Director at Fair and Just Prosecution.
The Sentencing Project promotes effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice.
Fair and Just Prosecution is a national network of elected prosecutors working towards common-sense, compassionate criminal justice reforms. To learn more about FJP’s work, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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