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YOU MIGHT THINK MOST OF OUR
JAIL BEDS ARE FILLED WITH
VIOLENT CRIMINALS -- BUT NEW
DATA SHOWS THE MAJORITY OF
MICHIGAN INMATES ARE BOOKED ON
LOWER-LEVEL CHARGES.
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SUE:..A TASK FORCE LOOKING AT
HOW TO REFORM CRIMINAL JUSTICE
IN THE STATE BROUGHT THE
EFFORT TO GRAND RAPIDS TODAY -
AND TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR
SUSAN SAMPLES WAS THERE.
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SUSAN:..MICHIGAN'S JAIL
POPULATION TRIPLED OVER 45
YEARS - AND ROUGHLY HALF OF
ALL INMATES HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN
CONVICTED.. SOME WAITING FOR
TRIAL SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
DON'T HAVE CASH TO BOND OUT.
NOW - A TASK FORCE OF JUDGES,
PROSECUTORS, DEFENSE
ATTORNEYS, VICTIM ADVOCATES -
AND A FORMER PRISONER - IS
TACKLING HOW TO REFORM A
SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T ON THE
PROMISE OF EQUAL JUSTICE.
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"OKAY SO PAROLE DIDN'T MAKE
THE TOP TEN.." THERE ARE TIMES
MONICA JAHNER FINDS HER
POSITION HARD TO BELIEVE..
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"IT'S EXTREMELY HUMBLING TO
BE HERE SITTING HERE.." SHE'S
A GOVERNOR-APPOINTED MEMBER OF
A TASK FORCE TASKED WITH
REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN
MICHIGAN..JAHNER HAS UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE..
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"I DID 28 YEARS IN PRISON.."
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"CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT
MURDER." JAHNER - WHO'S FROM
LANSING - WAS IN HER EARLY
TWENTIES WHEN SHE WAS
CONVICTED OF CONSPIRING TO
KILL HER STEPMOTHER - WHO
ULTIMATELY SURVIVED THE
ATTACK... JAHNER SPENT HER
NEARLY THREE DECADES IN PRISON
FIGHTING FOR REFORM FROM THE
INSIDE - A COMMITTMENT SHE
KEPT ONCE OUT..
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"SINCE THE DAY I CAME HOME..
I'VE WORKED MY WAY INTO EVERY
DOOR.."AT THE FORUM AT GRAND
RAPIDS COMMUNTY COLLEGE -
RESEARCHERS REVEALED DATA
SHOWING DESPITE A DECREASE IN
ARRESTS OVER THE LAST DECADE..
TENS OF THOUSANDS ARE STILL
GOING TO JAIL FOR LOW-LEVEL
CHARGES LIKE FAILURE TO APPEAR
IN COURT, MARIJUANA POSSESSION
AND SHOPLIFTING...EVEN FOR A
CHARGE LIKE DRIVING WITHOUT A
VALID LICENSE - FIVE PERCENT
OF THOSE ARRESTED DID MORE
THAN A MONTH IN JAIL...
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"THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF
THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE EITHER
ARRESTED FOR OR LOCKED UP FOR
AT THE COUNTY LEVEL THAT
FRANKLY ARE NOT THAT
SIGNIFICANT OF DANGERS TO
PUBLIC SAFETY."
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"I WAS SURPRISED AT THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
JAIL FOR WHAT ARE NON-VIOLENT,
NON-DRUG OR ALCOHOL OFFENSES."
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"IT'S AFFECTING FAMILIES.."
STATE REPESENTATIVE TENISHA
YANCEY RECALLED ONE MAN'S
STORY..
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"HE WA THE BREADWINNER OF THE
HOUSE SO THE ENTIRE FAMILY WAS
EVICTED DURING THE TIME HE WAS
IN JAIL BECAUSE HE HAD NO
MEANS TO PROVIDE FOR HIS
FAMILY FOR A LOW-LEVEL, NON-
VIOLENT OFFENSE."
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"WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO MAKE THIS BETTER AND
KEEP OUR COMMUNTY SAFE AND LET
MORE PEOPLE OUT OF PRISON OR
JAIL.."
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SUSAN:..RESEARCH RELEASED
TODAY ALSO SHOWED HOW
OVERREPRESENTATED BLACK MEN
ARE IN OUR JAILS... THEY MAKE
UP JUST 6 % OF THE POPULATION,
BUT THEY MADE UP 26% OF JAIL
ADMISSIONS.. THE TASK FORCE
WILL CONTINUE GATHERING DATA
AND HOSTING FORUMS.IN JANUARY
- IT WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
ON WAYS TO QUOTE REDUCE
INCARCERATION TRENDS, PROMOTE
PUBLIC SAFETY AND SAFEGUARD
CIVIL RIGHTS..I'M TARGET 8
INVESTIGATOR SUSAN SAMPLES.
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