By Gretchen Millich
Mason, MI – Mid-Michigan law enforcement officials are warning state government leaders that early release of prison inmates puts the safety of communities at risk. They're also concerned about proposed legislation that would dismantle Truth in Sentencing rules.
County Prosecutors, police departments and crime victim groups are protesting the Granholm administration's policy of speeding up the release of inmates. To save money, more inmates have been paroled after serving only their minimum sentences.
Eaton County prosecutor Jeff Sauter says, "There's been an unprecedented release of parolees in the past year and they've accelerated it into an economy where there's no jobs. They've got to deal with the reality of Michigan having the highest crime rate in the Midwest. They're not prioritizing public safety."
Sauter is also worried about legislation pending in the state House that would reinstate "good time" credits for prisoners. He says that would gut the states Truth in Sentencing law and thousands more prisoners would be eligible for early release every year.