Michigan House Bill HB4468

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/25/23
• Refer: 4/25/23

Caption

Corrections: prisoners; good time system; update corrections code to reflect. Amends secs. 20g, 33, 34, 34a, 35, 36, 38, 51, 65 & 65a of 1953 PA 232 (MCL 791.220g et seq.) & repeals secs. 33b & 33c of 1953 PA 232 (MCL 791.233b & 791.233c). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4470'23

Impact

Additionally, the bill allows the Department of Corrections to establish youth correctional facilities specifically for prisoners who are 19 years of age or younger. It outlines strict conditions regarding the treatment of younger offenders, including housing them only with peers of a similar age unless safety or health considerations dictate otherwise. The bill's amendments also call for annual reporting on the operational standards of such facilities, enhancing oversight and accountability in the corrections system.

Summary

House Bill 4468 seeks to amend the Corrections Code of 1953, focusing on the operational standards and eligibility of prisoners placed in community residential homes and youth correctional facilities. A significant provision of the bill specifies that prisoners convicted of violent or assaultive crimes with minimum sentences of ten years or more cannot be placed in community residential homes during any part of their sentence. This change aims to enhance public safety by ensuring that serious offenders are not housed in less restrictive environments that could pose risks to communities.

Contention

Some points of contention surrounding HB 4468 include concerns over how these amendments may affect the rehabilitation of young offenders. Critics argue that isolating these individuals from older, potentially more influential prisoners could hinder their reintegration into society. Moreover, the prohibition against placing certain violent offenders in community homes could be seen as a step towards harsher sentencing regimes that do not take rehabilitation into account. Proponents, however, assert that these measures are necessary to ensure the safety of the community and to focus on the specifics of youth rehabilitation under appropriate supervision.