Michigan Youth Behind Bars MCCD Report 2014

Examining
the impact of
prosecuting and
incarcerating kids
in Michigans
criminal justice
system
YOUTH
BEHIND
BARS
By
MICHELLE
WEEMHOFF
and
KRISTEN
STALEY
Methodology & Data Limitations
Acknowledgements
MCCD used qualitative and quantitative data sources to inform

this report. A comprehensive literature review was conducted
on the history, laws, and policies relevant to youth tried as adults
in Michigan. Additionally, the authors interviewed 52 stakeholders and government officials from the Michigan Department
of Corrections (MDOC), Michigan State Court Administrative
Office (SCAO), local courts, human service agencies, advocacy
organizations, and families.
MCCD is grateful to the many collaborators on this project.

First, we extend our thanks to the individuals who participated
in interviews for this report and to the Michigan Department of
Corrections, the Michigan State Court Administrative Office,
and local courts for assisting with data collection. Your experience and diverse perspectives offered tremendous insight and
strategies for addressing such complex issues. Next, we appreciate the guidance from our research advisory team, specifically
Dr. Dorinda Carter, Associate Professor in the Department of
Teacher Education and African American and African Studies
Program at Michigan State University, for help with data analysis. Many thanks to Dr. Francisco Villarruel, Alison Shames, and
Benjamin Chambers for their assistance in editing. The inspired
design and layout is a Redhead Design Studio creation. Finally,
this report would not have been possible without the generous
support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to whom we are
incredibly thankful.
The findings herein are limited to those individuals who entered

or were under the jurisdiction of Michigans criminal justice system from 2003 to 2013 for an offense committed before age 18.
The report relies upon three primary sources of data: the 2003
through 2013 SCAO Caseload Reports and the MDOCs
Offender Management Network Information (OMNI) and
Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS). All information from OTIS is a point-in-time reference as of November 21,
2013. Earlier research conducted by the University of Michigan
on cases of Michigan youth tried as adults from 1985 to 2004 is
also heavily cited.1
There are some limitations to the data. First, data reporting is
inconsistent across the state. Case-level information is maintained by local courts and self-reported to the SCAO annually.
Due to local variability in data tracking, the aggregate data
noted in the report should be considered an estimation. Secondly, the courts, law enforcement, jails, community corrections
and the MDOC each use different information systems, and
they do not share data across systems; this can result in inconsistencies. Lastly, the qualitative data gathered through interviews
reflect only individual perspectives, not agency positions. The
recommendations in this report solely reflect MCCDs position
on the issues as determined by our understanding of the data
and interviews.
We dedicate this report to the thousands of young people, their

families, and their communities, who have endured tremendous
hardship as a result of involvement in Michigans adult criminal
justice system.
MAY 2014
2014 Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
2 Executive Summary
4 Introduction

5 Pathways into Michigans

Adult Criminal Justice System
6 Consequences of Harsh Policies
7 Lawmakers are Listening:

Research Drives National Policy Change
9 Youth in Michigans
Adult Justice System
26 Policy Recommendations
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In the mid-1990s, Michigan became part of a national trend to
get tough on youth crime.Although crime rates were steadily
declining, the state passed a series of harsh laws that funneled
thousands of youth into the adult criminal justice system.In
addition to automatically considering all 17-year-olds as adults,
Michigan broadened juvenile prosecutors discretion to automatically file in criminal court, expanded the number of juvenile offenses requiring an adult sentence, and allowed children
of any age to be criminally convicted and sent to prison.
Most youth in the adult system are there for nonviolent offenses. From 2003 to 2013, over 20,000 Michigan
youth were placed on adult probation, detained in jail, or imprisoned for a crime committed when they were younger than
18 years old.a The majority of these cases included non-violent
offenses. Some were as young as 10 years old and a disproportionate number were youth of color.
Processing youth in the adult system is harmful to them
and bad for public safety. The trend to criminalize children
was quickly met with the reality that processing youth in the
adult system is detrimental to public safety and youth well-being. Youth in prison face extreme risk of violence, sexual assault,
and self-harm.2 Without access to rehabilitative services, young
people exiting adult prison are more likely to reoffend and
reoffend more violently compared to their counterparts in the
juvenile justice system.3
Michigans adult probation and prison systems are not

equipped to address the unique needs of youth. The majority of the youth sent to adult court in the past decade never
received an education higher than the 11th grade or completed
a GED. Over half entered the system with known drug or alcohol abuse issues and mental health concerns, and approximately
1,500 young people had at least one dependent.
A small number of youth tried as adults are girls, who often
enter the system with histories of violence and sexual victimization. Because so few girls are on probation or in prison, there
are essentially no services for this vulnerable population.
Young people leave the adult system without adequate
support to keep them from returning. Once youth leave the
corrections system, the lifelong consequences of an adult conviction are devastating. Nearly all youth in prison will eventually
return to the community but will find significant barriers to
employment, education, housing, and public benefitsthe key
elements to a successful future. Without effective reentry and
support services, young people may find themselves in a revolving door to prison.
Contrary to sentiments of the mid-1990s, public opinion in
Michigan and across the country has shifted toward becoming
smart on crime.In an effort to protect public safety, improve
child outcomes, and save money, leaders nationwide are re-evaluating previous policy decisions and making significant changes
to youth transfer laws. It is time for Michigan to join them.
Keeping in line with contemporary research and opinion, Youth
Behind Bars offers a series of smart recommendations to safely
reduce the number of young people exposed to the adult criminal justice system.
ichigan law considers a youth to be younger than 17; however, for the purM
poses of this report, youth are considered under age 18 based on lines drawn
by the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Federal Legislation, and the United Nations.
2 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency
6.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR SAFE
REDUCTION OF
YOUTH IN THE
ADULT SYSTEM:
1.
Raise the age of juvenile

court jurisdiction to 18.
This alone would impact
95 percent of the children
currently being sent into
adult corrections.
2.
Remove youth
from adult jails
and prisons.
Provide
effective legal
representation
to youth.
3.
Require oversight
and public reporting
on youth in the
adult system.
4.
Require judicial
review of all
transfer cases.
8.
Develop policies
to reduce the
overrepresentation
of youth of color
in the adult system.
End the option

to sentence youth
to life without
the possibility
of parole.
7.
Offer
developmentally
appropriate and
rehabilitative
alternatives to youth
in the community.
5.
9.
10.
Effectively partner
with families and
victims at all stages
of the criminal
justice system.
Restrict
the use of
segregation.
RUSS MARLAN,
EXECUTIVE BUREAU
ADMINISTRATOR,
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS:
Theres been an
evolution in
the criminal
justice system.
Were moving from
a model that gets
tough on crime
to one that is
smart on crime
and uses what works.
Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 3
The practice of treating

children as if they were
fully mature adults... has
particularly inequitable
consequences in the
realm of criminal justice.
GOV. WILLIAM MILLIKEN, ET AL.
AS AMICI CURIAE, MICHIGAN V. CARP (2014).
INTRODUCTION
Between 1988 and 1996, Michigan became part of a national
trend to get tough on crime by enacting punitive laws that
expanded ways to prosecute, convict, and incarcerate youth in
the adult criminal justice system. In addition to including all
17-year-olds in the adult system, Michigan lawmakers created
new lawsself-proclaimed as the toughest in the nation
to crack down on perceived youth violence. They eliminated
a minimum age limit on who could be sent to adult prison,
allowed prosecutors to file certain juvenile cases in adult court
without judicial oversight, and expanded adult sentencing options for youth of all ages. A 400-bed youth prison was created
and juvenile record expungement was limited. Additionally, the
reforms proposed zero tolerance policies in schools and reintroduced judicial discretion to detain status offenders for skipping
school and violating curfew.4
Despite being contrary to research and public opinion,
these harsh policies serve as the foundation for how Michigan
treats young people in the justice system. In 1997, the privatelyoperated punk prison, Michigan Youth Center, was constructed, housing hundreds of boys who had committed mostly
low-level, non-violent offenses. During its operation, a lawsuit
was filed claiming numerous instances of abuse and neglect.
A few years later, Michigan charged and convicted one of the
youngest Americans ever as an adult, 11-year-old Nathaniel
Abraham.
But things are changing. Over the last decade, Michigan has
seen a steady decline in the number of young people arrested
for violent offenses. The Michigan Youth Center was shut down
in 2005 in response to a shrinking population and and extremely high costs of operation. These changes galvanized public
discussion, questioning whether adult prison was the best place
to deal with youth.
Moreover, policy makers are now shifting their focus to be

smart on crime, recognizing that harsh policies do little to repair the harm caused to communities and victims.Over the past
ten years, nearly half of states limited the ways in which youth
can be prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated as adults. These
states cite public safety, cost-savings, and improved outcomes for
youth as the impetus for change.
Michigan has not reviewed how its policies, enacted decades
ago, could be updated to reflect current research and best
practices. In fact, no statewide entity currently tracks how many
youth are being tried in adult criminal court, what offenses are
being committed, nor monitors the impact of probation, prison,
and parole on public safety and individual outcomes.
The Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency (MCCD)
embarked on this study to help inform sound public policy
by answering three important questions:
1. What are the pathways that lead youth into Michigans adult
criminal justice system?
2. What impact does conviction and incarceration have on
young people and their families?
3. What policy changes should be enacted to safely reduce the
number of young people being treated as adults?
The findings in this report uncover some of the answers and,
more importantly, encourage dialogue among all stakeholders
dedicated to promoting public safety, wisely investing public dollars, and improving outcomes for children.
Pathways into Michigans Adult Criminal Justice System

The most common way for a young person to enter the adult
system is simply based on age. Michigan is one of only ten states
that automatically prosecute all 17-year-olds as adults. 5
However, regardless of age, Michigans justice system provides
no right to be treated as a juvenile.6 In other words, a youth of
any age can be tried and sentenced as an adult.
A youth who is 14, 15, or 16 years old may be waived into adult
court and out of the juvenile system.7 There are two ways to
waive jurisdiction: traditional waiver and automatic waiver.
Traditional waiver occurs after a judge in the juvenile courtb
conducts a two-part hearing, determining if waiver is in the best
interest of the public and the youth. The judge must consider a
number of factors in making this determination; however prior
delinquency history and the seriousness of the offense must be
considered more heavily than any other factor.8 A traditionally
waived youth must receive an adult conviction and sentence.9
Automatic waiver allows a prosecutor to bypass the juvenile
court altogether and directly file a case in adult criminal court,
but only if a youth is accused of committing one of 18 specified offenses.10 An automatically waived youth must receive an
adult conviction if found guilty; however, sentencing is slightly
different. Twelve of the 18 specified offenses require an adult
sentence, and the remaining six permit adult sentencing as an
option.11
Once waived into adult court, there is no ability to reverse or
petition the court to change that waiver.12 Michigan is one of
only five states allowing prosecutorial discretion to automatically
waive a case but provides no opportunity to reverse it.13
Michigan also allows youth of any age to be tried and sentenced
as an adult via designated proceedings. A designated youth stays in
juvenile court, but is given an adult conviction if found guilty.14
These youth are eligible for a blended sentence, allowing the court
to enter a juvenile disposition or an adult sentence.15
Once tried as an adult, that youth must be tried as an adult for
any future felony charges, even if the offense would not normally warrant transfer to adult court. This applies even if they were
never convicted of the original offense.16
An adult sentence can be extreme in Michigan. A person convicted in the adult system must serve 100 percent of his or her minimum sentence, with no opportunity for good time or earned
credits.17 A person 14 years or older may also be sentenced to life
in prison without the possibility of parole. While Michigan law
no longer requires this sentencing, pursuant to Miller v. Alabama,
132 S. Ct. 2455 (2012), the state still allows it as an option.18
MICHIGANS HARSH LAWS:

Michigan automatically prosecutes
all 17-year-olds as adults.
For some offenses, a prosecutor
can choose to skip juvenile court
altogether and file directly in adult
criminal court.
A youth of any age can be tried
as an adult and sent to prison.
Once tried as an adult, even if not
convicted, that youth can never be
tried in juvenile court again.
Michigan allows youth as young
as 14 to be sentenced to life in prison
without the possibility of parole.
Juvenile delinquency cases are primarily processed in the Family Division

of Michigan Circuit Courts. For brevity, it is hereinafter referred to as
juvenile court.
CONSEQUENCES OF
HARSH POLICIES
As a result of these harsh policies,
youth under the age of 18 in Michigan
may be placed in adult prisons and jails,
with extraordinarily harmful consequences.
Incarceration threatens
a youths safety
and well-being.
Youth incarceration
actually increases
violent crime.
Incarcerating youth
is expensive
and ineffective.
An adult conviction
has lifelong
consequences.
National research shows that

youth in adult prisons and jails
are twice as likely to be beaten
by staff, five times as likely to
be sexually assaulted, and 36
times more likely to commit
suicide than peers in the juvenile justice system.19 Because
of these high risks, prisons often place youth in segregation
or restraints; unfortunately,
this only serves to increase the
risk of depression, anxiety,
and self-harm.20
The Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention found
that youth exiting the adult
system are 34 percent more
likely to reoffend, reoffend
sooner, and escalate to more
violent offenses than their
counterparts in the juvenile
justice system.21
The average cost of housing a prisoner in Michigan is

about $34,000 a year,22 with
an average sentence served of
4.3 years.23 Further, a young
person convicted in the adult
system can expect to suffer a
lifetime earnings loss of about
40 percent, translating into to
a significant loss of state tax
revenue.24
The vast majority of youth

entering prison will eventually be released back into the
community. Once they leave
the system, an adult criminal
conviction creates immense
barriers to finding housing,
employment, and education.25
Lawmakers are Listening: Research drives policy change

There is a growing body of adolescent development research
confirming that teens are different from adults, and that
treatment is more effective when development is a primary
consideration.
As part of normal development, teens are more inclined to take
risks, act impulsively, and succumb to peer pressurecharacteristics often associated with delinquency.26 While the cognitive
capacities of adolescents are very close to an adult level by age
16, their ability to reason and exercise sound judgment, particularly in emotional situations, improves well into ones early
to mid-twenties.27 Because development continues into young
adulthood, youth are very amenable to rehabilitative programs
and behavior modification during these formative years. Many
jurisdictions are now using risk and needs assessments to drive
individualized case planning and prioritizing diversion and
community-based programs for low-risk cases.28
Policymakers around the country are using this research to
develop best-practices for kids in the justice system. States are
reevaluating their transfer policies, and the federal government
has confirmed that youth should only be in the adult system as a
last resort.
In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear

that children under 18 must be treated differently
from adults in the criminal justice system.
In 2005, the Court abolished the juvenile death penalty in Roper
v. Simmons,29 setting a precedent that distinguished different standards of culpability between adolescents and adults. In 2010,
Graham v. Florida30 eliminated the sentence of juvenile
life without parole for non-homicide offenses. Most recently,

in the joint cases of Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs31, the
Court deemed mandatory sentences of life without parole
for those under age 18 as cruel and unusual punishment and
unconstitutional.
Throughout all of these decisions, the Supreme Court expressed
a common sentiment: youth under the age of 18 are fundamentally different from adults, and important mitigating factors
such as the childs age, immaturity, home environment, and the
potential for rehabilitation, must be considered when imposing
a criminal sentence on a youth.
In addition to limiting who can be processed in the adult system, the federal government has also imposed new standards
for protecting children incarcerated as adults. In 2009, the
national Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Commissionc
determined that more than anyother group of incarcerated
persons, youth incarcerated with adults areat the highest risk
for sexual abuse.32 Based on this finding, the U.S. Department
of Justice established the Youthful Inmate Standard within the
2012 PREA regulations, requiring all youth under age 18 to be
separated by sight and sound from adults in jails and prisons
and restricting the use of isolation to achieve that separation.
The last ten years have seen significant reforms on the state level
as well. Since 2006, nearly half of the states enacted legislation
to limit when a youth can be transferred to the adult system.
Forty states now require 17-year-olds to be initially processed in
the juvenile justice system. Since 2011, eleven states passed laws
limiting the authority to house youth in adult jails and prisons;
four expanded their juvenile court jurisdiction; twelve changed
their transfer laws making it more likely that youth will stay in
the juvenile justice system; and eight amended their mandatory
minimum sentencing laws to account for the developmental differences between youth and adults.33
I n 2003, Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which created an investigative commission charged with developing national standards
to prevent and ultimately eliminate sexual abuse in our nations jails, prisons,
and detention facilities.
PARENT OF AN
INCARCERATED
YOUTH:
If we know of
effective options
for working
with youth,
why are we
sending any of
them to
adult prison?
YOUTH ENTERING
THE SYSTEM
HAVE EXPERIENCED
SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA,
INSTABILITY, AND
ARE AMONG
THE MOST
VULNERABLE.
Youth in Michigans Adult Justice System

Since 2003, a shocking 20,291 youth were convicted as adults
and placed on probation, sent to jail, or imprisoned for a crime
they committed before turning 18 years old.34 As of November
2013, when data was collected, one in three (6,764) of these
former youth were still under the jurisdiction of the Michigan
Department of Corrections (MDOC) on adult probation, in
prison, or under parole supervision.35
Fortunately, data from recent years indicates that these numbers
are dropping. Between 2008 and 2012, arrests of youth under
18 declined by 34 percent.36 As a result, fewer young people are
entering adult court or ending up in adult corrections. From
2003 to 2013, the rate of youth entering MDOC jurisdiction
decreased by 56 percent.
Despite this optimistic trend, Michigans antiquated laws still
stand. There are thousands of people in the adult corrections
systems that were transferred in as a childand more enter
each day. And, as the reports findings will show, the adult system is ill-equipped, ineffective, and too expensive to handle the
complex treatment and needs of this young population.
INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE MDOC

offense committed between 2003 2013
Young people who have committed crimes should be held

accountable for their actions. Nonetheless, it is important to
acknowledge the strikingly difficult life circumstances these
youth share in order to properly design rehabilitative services
and prevent future reoffending.
Based on research of Michigan youth in adult prison from 1985
to 2004, this young population experiences an exceptionally high
rate of violence. Seventy-eight percent had a friend who was
killed, and 48 percent had a family member that was killed.37
They also have great instability in their home lives. Eighty-one
percent had parents with substance abuse issues, and 44 percent
spent time in child welfare or foster care and were placed out of
the home an average of 11 times.38 A great number had family
members in prison: 45 percent had a father in prison; 25 percent
had a mother in prison; and 19 percent had a sibling in prison.39
Additionally, many had only one parent or needed to depend
upon public assistance: 78 percent lived in a single mother household and 47 percent relied upon public benefits.40
These same data points are not available for youth under the
MDOC jurisdiction in more recent years; however, it is known
that youth entering the adult system in the past decade were
almost all behind in schoolmany by at least two grade-levels.
This is especially true for 17-year-olds, who make up the majority of the population. While most 17-year-olds in Michigan are
entering their senior year of high school and looking toward
graduation, 28 percent of the same-aged peers who enter the
adult criminal justice system had an educational-level no higher
than tenth grade, 15 percent only had ninth grade, and 5 percent had an eighth grade or lower education.41
Age when offense was

committed
Currently on
probation
Currently
in prison
Currently
on parole
11 years old
12 years old
13 years old
12
14 years old
10
59
12
15 years old
25
210
43
16 years old
83
536
143
17 years old
1298
3108
1211
30%
TOTAL
1423
3927
1414
25%
Source: Offender Tracking Information System, Michigan Dept. of Corrections (Nov. 2013)
EDUCATION LEVEL OF 17-YEAR-OLDS ENTERING MDOC

2003 2013
40%
35%
36%
28%
20%
15%
15%
10%
12%
5%
0%
5%
11th Grade
10th Grade
9th Grade
12th Grade
8th Grade
Source: Offender Management Network Information (OMNI), 2003-2013. Michigan Department of Corrections.
17-year-olds comprise the majority of youth

in the adult system despite committing
mostly non-violent offenses.
17-year-olds
Furthermore, substance abuse and mental health issues are
of serious concern. More than half of the population (10,782
youth) had known drug abuse problems; almost one-fourth had
previously been treated for mental health issues; and 40 percent
of youth entering prison had been formerly committed to a
juvenile facility.42
In the last ten years, 95 percent of all youth entering adult

jail, prison, or probation were 17 years old at the time of their
offensetotaling 19,124 young people.43 By the end of 2013,
there were 5,617 former 17-year-olds still under the jurisdiction
of the MDOC (probation, prison, or parole). Of that population, 55 percent were in prison.44
Young people entering the adult system fall into two main
categories: 17-year-olds who are automatically considered adults
and youth who are 16 years old or younger who have been
transferred into the adult system either by a waiver or designated proceeding.
Most 17-year-olds entering the criminal justice system committed non-violent offensesnearly 60 percent were non-violent
and did not include a weapon.d Additionally, 58 percent of those
entering the system at age 17 had no prior juvenile record.45
YOUTH UNDER MDOC JURISTICTION

2003 2013
17-year-olds
2500
16 & younger
2000
Youth of color are overrepresented among 17-year-olds in the

adult corrections system. Fifty-three percent of all those currently under MDOC jurisdiction for an offense committed at
17 are youth of color; however, only 23 percent of Michigans
statewide 17-year-old population are youth of color.46
Seventeen-year-olds sentenced to prison receive a range of sentence lengths, but many are given long terms. Nearly 25 percent
of those currently in the system received sentences with a maximum term of 15 years or more, and 16 percent have sentences
with a maximum term of 20 years or more.47 At a rate of $34,299
per year, a 20-year sentence for one person equates to $685,980.
When considering all the 17-year-olds serving this term or longer,
the figure adds up to over $2.1 billion.
1500
1000
500
0
Nearly 68 percent of all 17-year-olds who entered MDOC in

the last decade came from some of the most populated counties:
Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent, Kalamazoo, Genesee, Saginaw, Muskegon, Berrien, and Ottawa. The top four counties
account for half (51 percent) of the 17-year-old population.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
d
Source: Offender Management Network Information, 2003-2013. Michigan Department of Corrections.
Based on the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting, violent crimes include those
offenses that involve force or threat of force.
Youth 16 and younger charged as adults come from

only a few Michigan counties, with a
disproportionate impact on youth of color.
Transferred Youth: 16-years-old and younger

In the last decade, 75 percent of all youth under age 17 charged
as adultse (3418) came from ten of 83 Michigan counties, Berrien, Wayne, Calhoun, Kent, Muskegon, Saginaw, Oakland,
Ingham, Allegan, and Macomb.48 The majority of transferred
cases were for serious offenses; however, 25 percent were nonviolent charges and did not include a weapon.
Youth of color are disproportionately prosecuted or convicted
as adults. In 2012, 59 percent of youth who were waived or designated as adults were Black or African American, even though
Black youth only make up 18 percent of the youth population
statewide.49
There is concern that racial and ethnic disparity may be even
more pronounced than is currently reported. Michigans justice
system has no standard procedure for collecting race and ethnicity information. In turn, many people are miscategorized compared to how they would self-identify. For example, individuals
who self-identify as Latino, Arab American, or biracial may be
categorized as White. Moreover, race and ethnicity are reported
differently at each stage of the system, including the courts, law
enforcement, jails, community corrections and the MDOC,
making it nearly impossible to assess the extent of inequitable
treatment at key decision points.
RACIAL DISPARITY AT STAGES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

All Reporting Counties 2012
Waiver or Designation
40%
59%
Confinement
60%
22%
Delinquent Findings
62%
21%
Petitions
61%
23%
Detentions
51%
Referrals
60%
Arrests
19%
57%
Juvenile Population
White
31%
37%
72%
Black/African American
Hispanic/Latino
18%
American Indian or Alaskan Native
7%
Other
This includes all designated and waived youth.
Michigan prosecutors have broad discretionary power to charge

youth 16 and younger as adults.
Michigan law grants prosecutors broad discretion regarding
when and how to use transfer mechanisms (designation, traditional, or automatic waivers) to try a youth as an adult.50 Of
special concern are automatic waivers. Michigan is one of only
15 states allowing automatic waiver by a prosecutor.51 Automatic
waivers occur when a youth is accused of one of 18 specified
offenses. The prosecutor then has the option to directly file the
case in adult court, bypassing the juvenile court altogether.
Specified offenses were determined by the Michigan Legislature
in 1996 to include the most serious crimes. In the past ten years,
only 29 percent of all youth under MDOC jurisdiction aged 16
or younger at the time of the offense were convicted of one of
the 18 specified offenses.52 It seems the majority of youth (71%)
received an adult conviction for a broader range of offenses, not
necessarily those deemed most serious.
State prosecutors, judges, and other court officials revealed that
a wide range of factors are considered before deciding to seek
transfer and it is clear that the decision to try a youth as an adult
is not made lightlyoften used as a last resort. Internal policies
do govern their use of these legal mechanisms, and the personal
philosophy of the head prosecutor or presiding juvenile judge
tends to play a large role in the types of and frequency that
cases are waived or designated.
A number of interviewees expressed concern with the broad
level of open-ended discretion. There is no uniform statewide
guidance on how to apply these complex polices to their caseloads. Interviews also indicated there is little external governance
over the decision-making process. Thus, transfer laws are
applied differently from county to county and from case to case.
For example, a number of jurisdictions reported weighing each
case individually, using mitigating factors such as age, culpability, family dynamics, and other personal characteristics, to help
make the decision. On the other hand, many reported that the
decision to transfer is based mainly on a youths past record or

the seriousness of the current offense.
Other interviewed officials noted that prosecutors, by nature of
their role in the adversarial court process, view cases on behalf
of law enforcement and victims. Theres a political component to this power, cautioned one juvenile defense attorney.
Prosecutors get elected for being tough on crime. Yet, there
is no requirement to consider the impact of the decision on the
accused youth or the availability of rehabilitative services in the
adult system. For example, if a case is waived into adult court
and the youth is not convicted, that young person will always
be considered an adult in court. In other words, once an adult,
always an adultregardless of conviction.53
IS THERE A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE

TO TRANSFER YOUTH TO THE ADULT SYSTEM?
Most juvenile justice services in Michigan are funded through the
County Child Care Fund (CCF),54 a 50 percent cost-share between the
state and counties. The CCF can be used toward community-based
programs as well as out-of-home placement. However, once a youth is
convicted as an adult, all costs are born by the state and the counties
pay nothing.
During a number of interviews for this report, county officials
acknowledged that this payment structure creates a financial incentive
to transfer youth and indicated that other counties may use transfer
as a cost-saving measure. No officials believed this was the case in
their own county; however, many reported that a lack of available local
resources is an influencing factor when deciding whether to transfer or
sentence a youth to the adult system.
FRANK VANDERVORT,
CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF LAW,
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
LAW SCHOOL:
They say juvenile justice

is more expensive but
its actually more expensive
to send a child to prison
for 20 years
with no rehabilitation.
SINCE 1996,
75 CHILDREN
UNDER THE
AGE OF 14
HAVE BEEN
CONVICTED
AS ADULTS
Designation is the most common way to try children of any age as adults.
From 2003 to 2013, a total of 3,418 youthf under 17 years old
were prosecuted as adults, either through traditional waiver,
automatic waiver, or designation proceedings. 55 The most frequently used method is a designated proceeding, accounting for
66 percent of all such cases.
WAIVERS AND DESIGNATED CASES

2003 2013
Designated Cases
300
Traditional Waiver
Automatic Waiver
250
200
150
Designation proceedings were born out of the concern that

young kids were increasingly being recruited by older criminals
to commit violent crimes.60 Many criminal court judges were
perceived as lenient on waiver kids, considering young age more
of a factor than the violent crime, explained one former state
legislator who served during the 1996 juvenile reforms. Designation created a way for the juvenile court to keep the case
and gave the juvenile judge more authority to impose a harsher
sentence.
Nonetheless, interviews proved that convicting youth at such
young ages is a big concern for many who work in juvenile
court. While these children are eligible for blended sentencing
options, they are still tried and convicted as adults. They face
lifelong criminal records and risk of adult prison time.
100
50
0
All designated youth will receive an adult criminal conviction if

found guilty. However, the juvenile judge may impose a blended
sentence, including juvenile disposition, an adult sentence
including prison or jail, or delay imprisonment and place the
youth on probation.59 Anecdotally, it appears these youth more
frequently receive juvenile dispositions rather than adult sentences; yet without clear data, it is impossible to track the actual
sentences or long-term outcomes of these cases.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
f
Source: Annual Report of Michigan State Courts Statistical Supplements, 2003-2013. Michigan Supreme Court Office of Administration
In a designated proceeding, a youth of any age may be tried, or

designated, in the same manner as an adult while staying under
the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.56 Michigan is one of only
22 states without a minimum age of transfer. Since 1996, when
the state eliminated a lower age threshold, 75 children under
the age of 14 have been convicted as adults.57
Prosecutors decision-making power applies when making the
choice to designate a case. Since 2003, prosecutors filed 2,245
cases for youth to be designated and tried as adults. These
proceedings can include those youth who have committed a
specified offense. However, with designation, there is judicial reviewonly 660 of those cases, about 29 percent, were actually
granted by a judge.58
he number of transfers are higher than the actual youth under 17 in the adult
T
system, as not all cases end with a conviction.
Michigans defense attorneys receive little specialized

training or resources for complex youth cases.
Michigans public defense delivery systemg has been characterized as one of the worst in the nation, fraught with inconsistent
funding, under-resourced attorneys, and a lack of oversight.61
Still, the majority of youth charged as adults, including transferred youth and 17-year-olds, depend upon the public defense
system for legal representation.
When facing an adult conviction that could remain on record
for the rest of a childs life, informed and experienced legal
counsel is crucial. Yet, nearly all persons interviewed felt that
a lack of training and resources leave defenders in Michigan
ill-equipped to handle these complex cases. Defending a young
person at risk of ending up in adult corrections requires a diverse range of knowledge. To effectively argue a case, attorneys
should be familiar with not only criminal, juvenile, family, and
education law, but adolescent development research, traumainformed practices, child welfare issues, and a host of other
topics. In fact, every recent Supreme Court case dealing with
young people in the adult system has been successfully argued
using these secondary research sources.62 However, there is no
statewide infrastructure providing attorneys with access to this
type of information or research.
Most youth in adult court never proceed to trial and, instead,
accept a plea agreement. For youth who are 16 or younger,
73 percent plead guilty and 86 percent of 17-year-olds plead
guilty.63 Negotiating a plea agreement requires that youth have
the capacity to appreciate the nature of the charges and weigh
the consequences of their decisions. Even with quality legal
representation, research shows that young people, especially
children under 15, are significantly less likely than adults to
understand court proceedings or effectively assist their attorney
in their own defense.64
Despite these findings, youth tried as adults are not required to
have a competency evaluation. In 2013, Michigan established
new juvenile competency laws for youth processed in juvenile
court; however, the law does not extend to youth in the adult
system.65 Due to lack of aggregate data, it is unclear how many
youth tried as adults in Michigan are evaluated for competency
on an annual basis.
g
HOLMES YOUTHFUL TRAINEEE ACT

The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA) is a sentencing option
available to youth between the ages of 17 and 20 who have been
charged with certain offenses. If the youth agrees to plead guilty,
following successful completion of the punishment imposed,
the charges will be set aside and there will be no public criminal
record. A sentence can include jail, prison, or probation, none of
which may exceed three years. Youth charged with a traffic offense, a major controlled substance offense, or a felony for which
the maximum punishment is life imprisonment are not eligible for
HYTA sentencing.66
It is unknown how many HYTA youth received probation or jail as
a sentence. However, as of March 2014, there were 338 young
people serving a HYTA sentence in prison, most frequently from
Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. When the HYTA offenders
are in prison, they are housed primarily in a separate unit at the
Thumb Correctional Facility until the age of 22, at which point they
can be transferred to the general population.67
Many stakeholders agree that HYTA provides young people with
an opportunity to not be burdened with a lifelong record for a
teenage mistake. However, interviewees expressed concerns that
spending up to three years in prison as part of a probationary term
does not align with the rehabilitative spirit of the law. Regardless
of whether or not a person leaves with a clean criminal record,
three years in prison can be extremely dangerous and can greatly
affect a young person emotionally, mentally, and physically for
the rest of their lives. Moreover, there is no MDOC supervision or
reentry services for most HYTA youth to assist with their return to
the community.
In 2013, the state created the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, tasked
with establishing standards and oversight of public defense delivery systems.
HONORABLE FAYE
HARRISON,
CHIEF JUDGE PRO TEM,
PROBATE COURT, 10TH
JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
COURT FAMILY
DIVISION:
Jails are no good for

kidsthey are not
going to get the same
degree of education,
mental health services,
anything. Its designed
to be an adult facility,
not a long-term
residential program
for kids.
THE
ADULT
SYSTEM
CANT
SUPPORT
YOUTH
Youth under the age of 18 often spend time in adult jail.

A young person under 18 years old may be placed in an adult
jail awaiting a hearing, as part of a sentence, if found in contempt of court, or considered a menace to others. 68 In the
last ten years, 10,531 young people received jail as part of their
sentence for a crime they committed under age 18over half
of the entire youth population in the adult system.69 On average,
a youth served 145 days in jail as part of his or her sentence and
an average of 35 days awaiting a hearingequivalent to the
typical number of annual school days in Michigan.70
Young people are particularly vulnerable in jail settings. National research shows that youth make up only one percent of
the jail population, yet they accounted for 21 percent of inmateto-inmatevictimization in jails in 2005 and 13 percent in 2006.71
Michigans laws have yet to align with federal PREA regulations,
although it is likely to have changed in practice among the states
prisons and jails. Currently, the federal Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act provides that a youth under juvenile court
jurisdiction placed in jail (this includes those awaiting a designated
trial) must be separated from the adult population physically and
from sight and sound.72 However, for youth under adult criminal
court jurisdiction who are placed in an adult jail, there is no state
requirement yet to separate them from adults.73
PREA standards make it cumbersome for many jails to accommodate younger populations without using isolation, which
can cause even greater trauma and upheaval. Even if a jail can
accommodate youth without the use of isolation, adult jails are
not equipped for long-term stays of youth who are still developing mentally, physically, and emotionally and require age-appropriate educational and mental health services.
Some juvenile detention centers also house youth with adult
charges. According to one juvenile detention official, youth facing adult charges remain in detention for 10-12 months, compared to 18-27 days for youth in the juvenile court.74 While the
services in a juvenile detention center are designed for youth,
detention, like jail, is intended to provide short-term care; as a
result, there are fewer services designed to meet long-term educational, mental health, or programming needs. Furthermore,
youth charged as adults do not get appointed a juvenile probation officer to facilitate services while in detention such as school
work, visitations, or medication reviews.
Girls in the adult system do not receive adequate treatment.

While girls make up about 30 percent of the juvenile justice
population at any given time, in the last ten years they accounted for only 10 percent of youth (2,016 girls) tried as adults in
Michigan.75 As of November 2013, only 227 women were under
the jurisdiction of the MDOC for offenses committed prior to
their 18th birthdays. Of that population, 79 were in prison, 116
were on probation, and 32 were on parole. Three of these girls
were currently under 18two were on probation and one was
in prison for running away from a juvenile facility.76
The majority (86 percent) of the girls charged as adults over
the last decade were 17 years old at the time of their offense.
Seventy percent had no juvenile record and 58 percent of the
offenses were non-violent.77
Girls in the justice system often have severe histories of trauma,
physical violence, sexual exploitation, and substance use.78
Stakeholders noted that girls tried as adults may have become
system-involved through boyfriends or gangs, or are victims of
human trafficking or domestic violence. Over the past decade,
45 percent of girls entered the corrections system with known
drug abuse, 26 percent had known alcohol abuse, 31 percent
had received mental health treatment, 40 percent had only a
10th grade education or lower, and 13 percent had at least one
dependent.79
Girls incarcerated in adult prison are housed at MDOCs
Womens Huron Valley Correctional Facility.While MDOC has
made efforts to develop gender-specific programming for the
female population, programming is not designed to be youthspecific given the small number of incarcerated girls.Even after
they are over the age of 17, interviewees suggested that there
are far fewer female-specific programs in the community; as
a result, women may be forced to stay longer in jail or prison
because they cannot attend local rehabilitative programs.
While it is the responsibility of
Lifetime probation is authorized for some drug offenses.
the department to supervise adult felony probationers in Michigan, courts retain legal control over the offenders status.
There is a lack of age-appropriate community-based services for youth

serving adult probation.
As of November 2013, the MDOC actively supervised 1,423
individuals on probation in the community for offenses committed prior to age 18.Of this population, five were 16 years old
and 21 were 17 years old.80
Among youthful probationers, 91 percent were 17 years old at
the time of their offense. The majority, 71 percent, committed non-violent offenses, and about two-thirds had no previous
juvenile record. Additionally, 93 percent spent an average of 24
days in jail prior to conviction.81
The sentencing judge determines the conditions of probation.h
This can include jail confinement, substance abuse treatment,
community service, high school completion, restitution, fines,
court costs and supervision fees, electronically-monitored home
confinement, or finding and keeping employment.82The judge
also sets the length of probation, with a maximum of five years
for felony offenses and two years for misdemeanors.i In the last
decade, almost half (49 percent) received some jail time as part
of their probation conditions.
Many of these young people enter the justice system undereducated and with serious substance abuse and mental health issues. Among 17-year-olds on probation in the last ten years (the
largest age group on probation), the overwhelming majority (77
percent), never completed high school nor a received a GED; 27
percent had an education level no higher than 10th grade and
15 percent only reached 9th grade. Additionally, prior to entering the corrections system, 51 percent had known drug abuse
issues, 24 percent had alcohol abuse problems, and 23 percent
previously received treatment for a mental health issue.83
Despite their young age, youth in adult probation cannot access
the rehabilitative programs offered through the juvenile court.
Interviews indicated that very few community-based programs
available through adult probation are designed to meet the
specific needs of youth.
Thus, it is not surprising that prior research discovered an
alarming 54 percent of youth probationers aged 16 or younger
escalated to prison as a result of a probation violation, either
due to technical violations or because of a new sentence.84
However, current statistics do suggest this number is dropping.
MDOCs population of as of November 2013 revealed only 16
percent of individuals in prison for an offense committed at 16
or younger were there as a result of a probation violation.85
Adult prisons are ill-equipped to address the developmental, educational,

and mental health needs of youth.
As of November 2013, there were 3,927 people in prison for
a crime committed before age 18. Of that population, 50 of
those individuals were 17 or younger at the time the data was
collected.86 Male youth are generally placed at the Thumb Correctional Facility (TCF), which has one youthful offender unit
with approximately 120 beds.j
MDOC does not have a separate policy directive specifically
addressing youthful offenders in prison. Other than separating all youth under age 18 by sight and sound from adults (as
required under the PREA regulations), MDOC treats youth in
much the same way as adult inmates. However, youth present
different challenges and issues than the adult population. As a
result, they tend to be more disruptive, experience high rates of
victimization and mental health concerns, and are often placed
in isolation.
In an effort to reduce fighting, TCF developed a daily schedule to keep youth occupied throughout the day. The schedule
includes three one-hour segments each day for education, structured programming and recreation time.
At its worst, there were 307 incidents of misconduct during the
month of December 2008; after instituting the new schedule,
misconduct incidents declined to only 88 in the month of December 2010the last year for which data was collected.
MDOC has also developed a youthful offender curriculum for
staff at TCF to train them on adolescent development, cultural
awareness, anger management, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, and suicide awareness and prevention.91 From 2009 to
2012, sixty-three corrections officers, management, and other
staff participated in this 16-hour youthful offender-training
program.k Unfortunately, according to the most recent legislative report, no staff received this training in 2013-2014.
YOUTH IN PRISON CONTINUE TO

FALL BEHIND IN EDUCATION
Youth in prison are more disruptive than adults.

Youth in adult prisons are more disruptive than either adults
in prison or youth in juvenile facilities.87 According to national
research, youth in adult prisons are more likely to commit a violent infraction, including threatening a correctional officer, possessing a weapon, rioting, fighting, and committing an assault
with or without a weapon.88 This behavior is often attributed to
the impulsive behavior of teens, the extreme stress of confinement, and high rates of mental illness.89
In the past ten years, about 82 percent of youth in prison had no high
school diploma nor had they completed a GED. In fact, while the majority of youth in prison are 17 years old, 32 percent entered with only a
10th grade education, 20 percent had a 9th grade education, and 10
percent had an 8th grade education or lower.92
Prior research indicates that youth only receive about eight hours
of education a week while in Michigans prisons.93 According to an
interviewee, there are currently 25 youthful offenders participating in
GED classes.l
When TCF first brought on the youthful offenders on October 1, 2005, things were very rocky, noted a TCF employee.
Large numbers of youth were allowed to be on the yard at one
time . . . or meander[ing] between dayrooms. This caused chaos
and brought on more opportunities for fights and disturbances
within the youthful offender population.90
j
Some youth may be housed in Woodland Center Correctional Facility due to
need of acute mental health care. Female youthful offenders are housed at the
Womens Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
k
The training was originally designed to be 24 hours in length but was reduced
to 16 hours in 2012.
Trade programs are also available, such as Building Trades, Food Tech ,or Job
Readiness. TCF also offers personal development programs, including Man 2
Man, Mo Money, and Current Events/Real Talk.
PATRICIA CARUSO,
FORMER DIRECTOR OF
THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS,
2003-2011:
People who are treated

inhumanely become more
inhumanethis is
especially true for
young people in prison.
YOUTH FACE
EXTREME
RISK OF
VIOLENCE AND
VICTIMIZATION
WHILE IN
ADULT PRISON.
Young people are at the greatest risk of violence and victimization in prison.
Youth in prison are in great need of mental health treatment.
In 2013, a class action lawsuit, John Doe v. Michigan Department

of Corrections, was filed on behalf of over 500 youthful prisoners, ages 14 to 17, who are, were, or will be confined in adult
prisons in Michigan and who have been or will be subjected to
sexual and physical assaults and abuse, sexual harassment, and
degrading treatment from adult prisoners as a result of incarceration in adult prisons.94
National research indicates that 68 percent of youth in the adult

criminal justice system have at least one psychiatric disorder
and 43 percent have two or more types of disorders.95 Those
sentenced to prison were far more likely to have a disruptive behavior disorder, a substance use disorder, or co-morbid affective
and anxiety disorders than those with lesser sentences.96
The complaint describes sexual assaults, with many of the plaintiffs reporting violent rapes, of which MDOC staff members
may have been aware. At least two plaintiffs allege they were
coerced into sex with female MDOC officers. In the case of one
plaintiff, the complaint alleges that an MDOC staff member
opened a youths cell to allow an adult prisoner to assault him.
That same youth alleges that he was put into solitary confinement for reporting sexual abuse.
The case argues that having young prisoners in contact with
adult prisoners resulted in the youth getting more punishment,
degrading treatment, solitary confinement, and being deprived
of rehabilitative programming and educational services. Additionally, it asserts that MDOC staff failed to separate juvenile
prisoners from adult prisoners by sight and sound as required
by federal PREA law; failed to adequately supervise juvenile
prisoners; failed to properly train, monitor, discipline, or regulate prison staff; and still fails to implement proper policies and
procedures to identify and house youth in prison.
Interviewed family members and advocates reported awareness
of similar experiences of youth while in prison. For example,
youth were reported to be restricted in chains, threatened with
violence, or left in isolation for weeks or even months at a time.
They also reported allegations of sexual harassment, particularly towards those who have severe mental health needs. Youth
were also said to be more likely to join gangs for protection or
turn to prostitution within prison to pay for their safety.
All youth entering Michigan prisons under 17 are automatically admitted into Outpatient Mental Health Treatment to
monitor their needs, whether or not they have a mental health
diagnosis. Each youth receives a psychosocial evaluation and a
behaviorally-based treatment plan, which could include medication, group therapy, crisis intervention, family support, and case
management services. The plans are reviewed with the youth
and clinical team at least every 90 days. Despite their similar
needs to 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds only receive an individualized treatment plan if they have a mental health diagnosis.97
Although the MDOC recognizes that young people in prison
need some form of mental health treatment, interviewed
stakeholders almost unanimously agreed that MDOC is neither
designed nor equipped to provide adequate mental health services for youth.
Of all youth entering prison in the past ten years, 60 percent
had known drug abuse issues, 25 percent had issues with alcohol
abuse, and 22 percent were treated for a mental illness before
entering prison. Interestingly, these numbers change slightly
when accounting for age; one-third of all youth 16 or younger
received mental health treatment before going to prison.98
Youth who need more intensive psychiatric care or are at risk
of harming themselves may be transferred to Woodland Center
Correctional Facility for inpatient treatment, where they may
participate in a crisis stabilization program, acute services treatment, or rehabilitation treatment. Despite significant research
showing that segregation can further exacerbate mental health
conditions, psychiatrists are permitted to order the use of
therapeutic seclusion and/or therapeutic restraints.99
JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE

Michigan is home to 363 people serving a life sentence without the
possibility of parole for crimes committed before age 18the second
largest population in the nation.
Isolation is harmful.
Solitary confinementm has been documented as one of the most
traumatic and dehumanizing penalties that a person can endure. The MDOC uses segregation to isolate inmates who pose
safety, security, or escape risks. Among persons interviewed,
it was noted that youth who are at risk of suicide may end up
tied down in 4 or 5 point restraints to either a metal bed or a
concrete slab in an observation cell.
On any given day, there are approximately 982 people in segregation statewide, including 44 people with severe mental illness
or developmental disabilities.100 In total, MDOC inmates spent
358,590 days in isolation from 2012-2013, equating to nearly
ten years of segregation during only one calendar year.101
TCF recently created isolation cells in the youthful offender
unit in order to create sight and sound separation from isolation units used for adults. On a single day of data collection,
six youth were in segregationn (out of an estimated 50 youth in
TCF); sixty additional isolation beds were available.102
m
Solitary confinement, isolation, and segregation are all used interchangeably.
This is a point-in-time figure and does not represent the daily average number
of youth in segregation at the Thumb Correctional Facility.
In 2012s Miller v. Alabama ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declared

mandatory sentencing of youth to life in prison without the possibility
of parole to be unconstitutional. Under current Michigan law, juvenile
life without parole (LWOP) is permitted, though no longer mandatory,
as a sentence for those 14 years or older.103 This sentence may only
be given after the judge considers the mitigating factors required by
Miller.104 The law does not apply retroactively to those youth who are
currently in prison; however, there is ongoing litigation among Michigans courts to settle the matter.105
According to national research, nearly 80 percent of youth serving
LWOP experienced family violence and more than half grew up in neighborhoods with consistent violent crime. About 20 percent reported
experiencing sexual abuse and about half had been physically abused
prior to their prison sentence.106
Michigan youth serving LWOP are predominantly African American
(69%), which is greatly disproportionate to the overall state population
of only 15 percent.107 There is also a large racial discrepancy among
those offered plea arrangements. Cases with white victims were 22
percent less likely to be offered a lower sentence than those cases with
victims of color.108
Michigan LWOP youth also reportedly received poor defense and often
did not understand the judicial proceedings. Thirty-eight percent of
their defense attorneys had been disciplined for unethical conduct,
compared to only 5 percent of attorneys defending other cases.109
Nearly one-third of these youth reported not understanding the meaning of parole and rejected plea agreements that would have resulted
in a lesser sentence.110
FORMERLY
INCARCERATED
YOUTH:
When I got out of prison,

I had nowhere to live
and no one to help me.
I didnt know how to be
a man in the
real world.
YOUTH HAVE
LIMITED
OPTIONS
UPON
RETURNING
HOME
An adult conviction has lifelong consequences.

Regardless of the age a person enters prison, the vast majority
of prisoners do not stay for a lifetime. Of the 3,927 people currently in Michigan prisons for a crime committed before age 18,
about 61 percent have a maximum sentence of five years or less;
98 percent will return to their community and family within 10
years.111
benefits. MPRI was successful at preventing individuals from

returning to prison; at the highest estimate, 38 percent fewer
parolees returned to prison because of the aid received via
MPRI.115 Unfortunately, state and local funding for reentry has
diminished so significantly that people of all ages are struggling
to connect with the resources they need upon release.116
Once released from prison, these individuals are placed on parole supervision, which typically lasts from one to four years. At
of the end of 2013, there were 1,414 individuals on parole for
offenses committed as youth.112
MPRI initially targeted youth leaving prison as a special population for reentry services. In 2009, MDOC contracted with
Professional Consulting Services (PCS) to design reentry services
for youthful offenders and young people imprisoned as Holmes
Youthful Trainees (HYTA). Prior to release, PCS worked with
young people and their families to identify individual needs
and arrange services for housing, education, mental health, and
more. Despite successful outcomes, the MDOC discontinued
reentry services for most HYTA youth in December 2013.
Currently, Michigan does not collect data specific to recidivism

rates of those who entered prison as youth. However, national
research indicates that this population is at high risk to reoffend,
in part due to the criminal education received while in prison.
Because youth enter at such an impressionable age, it stands to
reason that they would need additional resources and support to
remain crime-free when reentering the community.
While many youth are looking forward to the opportunity to be
productive citizens, they quickly realize that a number of challenges exist as a direct result of having an adult conviction.
Individuals face immense barriers to securing housing,

finding employment, and continuing their education.
113
Additionally, parental rights can be terminated, all federal

student loans are prohibited for certain convictions, joining the
military is off limits, and many will be restricted from receiving
professional or drivers licenses.114
However, MPRI did not create a special reentry designation for

those who enter prison as youth and leave as adults, which is the
case for the vast majority of youthful offenders. Once a youth
turns 18, he or she qualifies for adult reentry services, and there
is no recognition of the unique circumstances of the youthful
offender. For people who entered prison at age 17 or younger,
they are less likely to have completed high school, driven a car,
opened a bank account, or even gone grocery shopping on
their own. A youths support network of family and friends is
often strained or lost while in prison. Moreover, the prospect of
living independently can be overwhelming, especially for those
who spent their lives in juvenile justice or foster care institutions
prior to prison. Without effective reentry and support services,
these young people often find themselves in a revolving door to
prison.
To reduce recidivism overall, the state implemented the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI) in 2005. The model
installed regional community coordinators to assist people on
parole to find housing, gain employment, and access public
Michigan is one of
only ten states
that automatically
prosecutes
17-year-olds
as adults.
BUT THE TRUTH
REMAINS:
17-YEAR-OLDS
ARE NOT
ADULTS
VICKI SEIDL,
SENIOR ATTORNEY,
JUVENILE DIVISION,
KENT COUNTY
PROSECUTORS OFFICE:
Michigan should
consider shifting
17-year-olds to the
juvenile system in order to
comply with federal standards
and get us in line
with other states.
POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS
Prosecuting, sentencing and incarcerating young people as adults is proven to do more harm
than good. The most effective way to reduce youth involvement in adult corrections is to
intervene as early as possible with age-appropriate care. A solution to the current approach
can build on Michigans broad range of juvenile justice servicesboth public and private
which have the capacity and willingness to serve youth of all risk levels.
MCCD is committed to increasing dialogue among all stakeholders as we work together to
promote public safety, wisely invest taxpayer dollars, and improve outcomes for children.
As such, MCCD offers the following recommendations as next steps to safely reduce
the number of and effectively treat youth in the adult system.
2.
Remove all youth from adult jails

and prisons and provide access
to rehabilitative services available
in youth-serving systems.
1.
Raise the age of

juvenile court
jurisdiction to 18.
Nearly every stakeholder
interviewed felt strongly that
Michigan should align with
the national standard and
raise the age of juvenile court
jurisdiction to 18. Michigan remains one of the few
remaining states that automatically prosecute all 17-year
olds as adults. This policy is
increasingly at odds with state
laws and national and international policies that declare
adulthood to begin at age 18.
States that have recently
raised the age of juvenile
court jurisdiction have reported little to no cost impact, in
large part due to effective diversion and community-based
treatment for low-risk offenders. In fact, research estimates
that including 17-year-olds
in the juvenile justice system
could result in a $3 savings
benefit for the correctional
and judicial systems for every
$1 spent.117
While the majority of stakeholders agree that raising the

age make senses, the greatest barrier appears to be the
funding structure. In Michigans juvenile justice system,
the county and the state share
the cost of all juvenile services,
including long-term placement and community-based
programs. When youth are
processed in the adult system,
the state bears 100 percent of
the cost and the county pays
nothing. A change in policy
would require that costs be
shifted from the state to the
county level to accommodate
services for 17-year-olds.
Although some counties
would need to make adjustments to their services and
detention facilities if 17-yearolds were included in the
juvenile population, the longterm benefits far outweigh the
short-term costs. When fewer
youth enter adult prison, the
risk to public safety decreases
due to lower reoffending rates
and youth are less likely to be
victims of violence and sexual
assault and suicide.
Jails and prisons are proven

to be more dangerous for
youth due to physical and
sexual violence and do little to
strengthen a childs potential
for rehabilitation. Youth in
adult corrections have the
same needs as those in the
juvenile justice system; yet
they cannot access ageappropriate rehabilitative
programs offered in youthserving systems. The MDOC
recognizes that adult facilities
are not designed to meet the
developmental, educational,
and mental health needs of
young people. On the other
hand, Michigans juvenile facilities and community-based
programs generally provide
age-appropriate therapy and
mental health services, drug
treatment, education, and
vocational training. Unlike the
adult system, juvenile justice
specializes in holding youth
accountable for their actions
while also providing individualized treatment to youth with
high risks and high needs.
3.
Require oversight and

public reporting on youth in
the criminal justice system
and in adult prisons.
Michigan does not currently
require the courts or MDOC
to systematically monitor
and publicly report on youth
as they move through the
adult criminal justice system.
Reporting on the number
and type of waivers, the types
of offenses, and aggregate
characteristics of youth would
help to monitor its occurrence and hold stakeholders
accountable. Additionally,
tracking outcomes (i.e., the
success or failure of the youth
after disposition) is critical to
determining what works to
reduce recidivism, treat young
people, and keep communities safe. By tracking the youth
who enter the adult system,
state legislators and other system stakeholders will be better
able to target resources toward
prevention services.
4.
Require judicial review of all

transfer cases and allow equal
consideration of mitigating
factors in each case.
The role of the judge is to
make fair and impartial decisions based on the facts of
each case; yet Michigan law
allows prosecutors unfettered
discretion to waive youth
charged with certain offenses
into adult court without a
judicial hearing. No standards,
guidance, or protocols are
imposed on prosecutors when
making this decision. Imposing judicial review (in the form
of reverse waiver hearings)
would encourage a balanced
approach without limiting
the ability of prosecutors to
pursue harsher punishment
for serious crimes.
In making the decision to
transfer a case, the judge must
consider a number of factors;
however, the statute requires
prior delinquency history and
the seriousness of offense be
considered more heavily than
any other factor.118 Rather,
the judge should have the
authority to equally weigh all
factors, including the childs
development, mental health
concerns, educational needs,
and family support, instead of
prioritizing a youths history
of delinquency and severity
of the offense above else. This
limitation restricts judicial
review, weakening the ability to review the case on an
individual, case-by-case basis.
Additionally, given the lack
of age-appropriate services at
most adult facilities, the judge
should be required to consider
the availability of rehabilitative services when deciding to
transfer a case.
5.
6.
7.
Develop policies and procedures

aimed at reducing the
overrepresentation of youth of
color in the adult system.
Strengthen the quality of legal

representation by offering
training to court-appointed
counsel and requiring a
competency evaluation for
youth who are transferred.
Expand the availability

of community-based and
reentry options for youth
convicted as adults.
Racial disparity exists at every

level of the justice system,
but it appears to be amplified
among youth who are transferred to the adult system. A
first step to addressing this
issue is to consistently track
demographic information
statewide and allow self-identification of race and ethnicity.
With a better understanding
of the actual characteristics
of the youth inside the adult
system, community-based
interventions can be better
targeted to effectively reduce
justice involvement among
youth of color.
Youth transferred to the adult

system almost always receive
court-appointed counsel even
though there is little to no
training or specialized resources available to attorneys
representing this population.
Most youth end up accepting
a plea agreement; yet, it is
unclear whether youth have
the capacity to fully appreciate
the charges or understand the
consequences of their decision
to plea. In order to strengthen
legal representation, statewide standards should be
established and training
offered to all court-appointed
counsel. Additionally, every
youth under age 18 should be
evaluated for competency in
criminal court to ensure that
his or her constitutional rights
are upheld.
Research shows that community-based programs under

the juvenile court are highly
effective at reducing recidivism and at a much lower cost
than prison or placement. Yet
similar programs are not offered to young people serving
probation or parole. Reentry
planning and services do not
recognize that youth who are
returning to the community
have needs that may differ
from other adult parolees.
Moreover, reentry funding has
been dramatically cut from
the MDOC budget, even
though it is clear that these
services are directly related to
a reduction in state recidivism
rates. In order to increase the
availability of effective community-based programs, it is
imperative that funding, particularly for reentry services,
be restored and sustained.
9.
8.
Restrict the use

of segregation.
Solitary confinement can
cause extreme psychological,
physical, and developmental
harm. For young people, who
are still developing and more
vulnerable, this can cause
irreparable damage, especially for those with disabilities
or histories of trauma and
abuse.In order to comply with
PREA regulations, and ensure
the safety and well-being of
children, Michigans prisons
and jails should significantly
restrict the use of segregation.
In situations when an individual must be removed from a
group, it is recommended that
separation be used sparingly
and only for short periods of
time.
Eliminate the option to sentence

youth to life without parole
and other extremely lengthy
sentences.
Because adolescents are still
developing, they are highly
amenable to rehabilitation.
Yet Michigan is one of the few
jurisdictions in the world that
allows young people to serve
life in prison without the possibility of parole for offenses
committed prior to their 18th
birthdays. Equally concerning are the very long sentences
imposed on youth 17 years old
or younger. Nearly 25 percent
of those currently in the
system received sentences with
a maximum term of 15 years
or more, and 16 percent have
sentences with a maximum
term of 20 years or more. The
option to sentence juveniles
to life without parole should
be abolished and lengthy
sentences for youth should
always allow for regular parole
review.
10.
Establish procedures for

effectively partnering with
families and victims.
Whenever possible and safe,
it is preferable to treat youth
in the context of their families
and communities. Providing
services to the whole family can help bolster support
for their child and improve
dynamics within the home.
Likewise, engaging victims
provides an opportunity for
youth to make amends and
repair harm they may have
caused. If a youth is removed
from the home, it is important
that family members and victims are informed and, when
appropriate, encouraged to
engage in the childs treatment
plan and reentry process.
ENDNOTES
1
OSEMARY SARRI, ET AL., UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, INSTIR

TUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, JUVENILES COMMITTED TO THE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES 1985-2003: A PRELIMINARY REPORT (2006).
11
ICH. COMP. LAWS 769.1. The other option is to make the youth a state
M
ward under the Department of Human Services.
12
People v. Conat, 605 N.W.2d 49 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999).
13
OJJDP STATISTICAL BRIEFING BOOK supra note 5.
14
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2d
15
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.18(1)(m)
16
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(5); MCR 3.950(D)(2)
17
MICH. COMP. LAWS 791.233
Id.
18
overnor John Engler, Address to the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of

G
Michigan, Mackinac Conference (July 27, 1995).
19
ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2(a). Michigan has considered 17-year-olds as

M
adults for over a century, see Mich. Pub. Acts 1907, Ex. Sess. No. 6 1; for a
listing of other states age of juvenile jurisdiction see OJJDP STATISTICAL
BRIEFING BOOK (2012) available at http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/structure_process/qa04115.asp?qaDate=2011.
J effrey Fagan, et al., Youth In Prisons and Training Schools: Perceptions and Consequences of the Treatment-Custody Dichotomy, 40 JUV. & FAM. CT. J. 1, 1 (1989);
NEELUM ARYA, CAMPAIGN FOR YOUTH JUSTICE, JAILING JUVENILES: THE DANGERS OF INCARCERATING YOUTH IN ADULT
JAILS IN AMERICA (2007).
20
Hahn, supra note 1.
21
Id.
22
he average daily prisoner cost in Michigan is $93.97 a day or $34,299 a year.

T
Cost per Prisoner per Day, MICH. DEPT OF CORR., https://www.michigan.
gov/midashboard/0,4624,7-256-60564_60567_60618---,00.html (last visited
May 1, 2014).
23
HE PEW CTR. ON THE STATES, PUBLIC SAFETY PERFORMANCE

T
PROJECT, TIME SERVED: THE HIGH COST, LOW RETURN OF
LONGER PRISON TERMS (2012).
24
REAT LAKES ECONOMIC CONSULTING, THE SOCIO-ECOG

NOMIC BENEFITS AND ASSOCIATED SAVINGS OF COMMUNITYBASED PROGRAMS FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS (2013).
25
EGAL ACTION CENTER, AFTER PRISON: ROADBLOCKS TO REL

ENTRY A REPORT ON STATE LEGAL BARRIERS FACING PEOPLE
WITH CRIMINALRECORDS 18 (2004).
26
ACARTHUR FOUND. RESEARCH NETWORK ON ADOLESCENT

M
DEV. & JUVENILE JUSTICE, LESS GUILTY BY REASON OF ADOLESCENCE (2006).
27
aurence Steinberg & Elizabeth S. Scott, Adolescent Development and the Regulation
L
of Youth Crime, 18 THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN 2, 15 (2008).
28
TEPHANIE LEE, ET AL., WASHINGTON STATE INSTITUTE FOR

S
PUBLIC POLICY, NO. 12-04-1201, RETURN ON INVESTMENT: EVIDENCE-BASED OPTIONS TO IMPROVE STATEWIDE OUTCOMES:
APRIL 2012 UPDATE (2012).
29
Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005).
30
Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48 (2010).
31
Miller v. Alabama, 132 S.Ct. 2455 (2012).
obert Hahn, et al., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Effects on
R
Violence of Laws and Policies Facilitating the Transfer of Youth from the Juvenile to the
Adult Justice System: A Report on Recommendations of the Task Force on Community
PreventiveServices, 56 MMWR RECOMMENDATIONS & REP. RR-9 (2007);
MACARTHUR FOUND. RESEARCH NETWORK ON ADOLESCENT
DEV. & JUVENILE JUSTICE, THE CHANGING BORDERS OF JUVENILE JUSTICE:TRANSFER OF ADOLESCENTS TO THEADULT
CRIMINAL COURT (2006).
People v. Hana, 504 N.W.2d 166 (1993).
ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(1)(traditional waiver); MICH. COMP. LAWS

M
764.1f (automatic waiver).
ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(4)(a)-(f). The following are the six factors that
M
the court must weigh during a traditional waiver hearing:
1. The seriousness of the offense in terms of community protection, including
the use of a weapon, the impact on the victim, and the existence of aggravating factors;
2. The culpability of the youth, including the level of participation in planning
or carrying out the offense or other mitigating or aggravating factors;
3. Prior offense records, including detention, police arrests, school records, or
any other evidence indicating delinquent behavior;
4. History of treatment and willingness to participate in available programming;
5. Adequacy of available treatment or punishment in the juvenile justice
system; and
6. The dispositional options available.
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4
10
ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2(a)(1). The specified juvenile offenses include:

M
arson of a dwelling, assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to maim,
attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit
murder, first degree murder, second degree murder, kidnapping, first degree
criminal sexual conduct, armed robbery, carjacking, assault with intent to rob,
assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, bank/safe robbery, escape
from a juvenile facility, first degree home invasion, and drug possession or
delivery of more than 1000 grams.
32
ATIONAL PRISON RAPE ELIMINATION COMMISSION, REPORT

N
16-19(2009).
52
ffender Management Network Information (OMNI), 2003-2013. Michigan DepartO

ment of Corrections.
33
ARMEN DAUGHERTY, CAMPAIGN FOR YOUTH JUSTICE, STATE

C
TRENDS LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES FROM 2011-2013: REMOVING
YOUTH FROM THE ADULT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (2013).
53
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(5); MCR3.950(D)(2)
54
MICH. COMP. LAWS 400.117c
34
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., Offender Management Network Information (OMNI),

M
2003-2013.
55
MICH. SUPREME COURT OFFICE OF ADMIN., supra note 48.
56
35
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), 2003M

2013. This current number reflects a point-in-time data set, November 21,
2013.
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2d
57

2013.
58
MICH. SUPREME COURT OFFICE OF ADMIN., supra note 48.
59
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.18(1)(m)
60
House Panel Passes Anti-Crime Package,TOLEDO BLADE, May2, 1996 at 8.
61
TATE BAR OF MICHIGAN, JUDICIAL CROSSROADS TASK

S
FORCE,REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS: DELIVERING JUSTICE IN THE FACE OF DIMINISHING RESOURCES (2011).
62
S ee Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005); Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48
(2010); J.D.B. v. North Carolina, 131 S. Ct. 2394 (2011); Miller v. Alabama,
132 S.Ct. 2455 (2012).
63

2013.
64
homas Grisso, et al., Juveniles Competence to Stand Trial: A Comparison of

T
Adolescents and Adults Capacities as Trial Defendants, 27 LAW & HUM. BEHAV.
4 (2003).
65
66
67
Id.
68
CR 3.950(E)(2)(requiring a waived youth to be subject to the same

M
procedures used for adult criminal defendants, including being held in a jail);
MICH. COMP. LAWS 764.27a(3)(allowing youth designated to be tried as
an adult to be held in adult jail); MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.16(1)(allows
youth under juvenile court jurisdiction to be held in adult jail); MCR 3.928(C)
(allowing a person 17 or older to be held in jail up to 93 days if found in
contempt of court); MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.18(1)(e)(allowing a person
17 or older to be imprisoned in adult jail if found violating a PPO).
69

M
2003-2013.
70
Id.
71
EVON B. ADAMS, ET AL., BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS,

D
NCJ 218914, SEXUAL VIOLENCE REPORTED BY CORRECTIONAL
AUTHORITIES, 2006 (2007); ALLEN J. BECK & PAIGE M. HARRISON,
36
37
ICH. STATE POLICE, MICHIGAN CRIME INCIDENT REPORTM

ING, STATEWIDE ARREST TOTALS 2012: ARRESTS BY AGE, SEX,
AND RACE (2013).
I rene Ng, et al., Comparison of Correctional Services for Youth Incarcerated in Adult and
Juvenile Facilities in Michigan, 92 Prison J. 4, 460-483 (2012).
38
Id.
39
Id.
40
Id.
41

M
2003-2013.
42
Id.
43
Id.
44

2013.
45

M
2003-2013.
46
ichigan Census 2012; MICH. DEPT OF CORR., Offender Tracking InformaM

tion System (OTIS), 2003-2013.
47

2013.
48
ICH. SUPREME COURT OFFICE OF ADMIN., ANNUAL REPORT

M
OF MICHIGAN STATE COURTS, STATISTICAL SUPPLEMENTS,
2003 - 2013.
49

M
2003-2013; MICH. COMM. ON JUVENILE JUSTICE, Michigan Disproportionate Minority Contact Data, 2012.
50
eople v. Conat, 605 N.W.2d 49 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999), holding that the court
P
should not interfere with the prosecutions broad discretion as to what charge
to bring.
51
OJJDP STATISTICAL BRIEFING BOOK supra note 5.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS, NCJ 214646 SEXUAL VIOLENCE

REPORTED BY CORRECTIONAL AUTHORITIES, 2005 (2006).
72
MICH. COMP. LAWS 764.27a(3); MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.16(1)
73
MCR 3.950(E)(2)
74
I nterview with Washtenaw County Detention Center Administrator, Feb. 27,

2014.
75

M
2003-2013.
88
Id.
89
Id.
90
emo from Michigan Department of Corrections staff at Thumb CorrecM

tional Facility, May 25, 2010 (on file with author).
91
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., TRAINING REPORT FOR STAFF WITH

M
YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS (2014). The training modules are a sixteen (16)
hour program consisting of:
Youthful Offenders: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

2013.
Youthful Offenders: Adolescent Development
77

M
2003-2013.
Youthful Offenders: Behavioral Observation and Recording
78
ARGARET A. ZAHN, ET AL., OJJDP, NCJ 226358, GIRLS STUDY

M
GROUP, UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO GIRLS DELINQUENCY, CAUSES AND CORRELATES OF GIRLS DELINQUENCY
(2010); BONITA M. VEYSEY, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MENTAL
HEALTH AND JUVENILE JUSTICE RESEARCH AND PROGRAM
BRIEF, ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
INVOLVED WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM (2003).
92

M
2003-2013.

M
2003-2013.
93
Ng supra note 37.
94
ummons and Complaint for Petitioner, John Doe v. Mich. Dept of Corr.,
S
No. 13-1196-CZ (22nd Mich. Cir. Dec. 9, 2013).
95
J ason J. Washburn, et al., Psychiatric disorders among detained youths: a comparison

of youths processed in juvenile court and adult criminal court, 59 PSYCHIATRIC
SERVICES 965, (2008).
96
Id.
97
ich. Dept of Corr., THUMB CORRECTIONAL FACILITY OPERATM

ING PROCEDURES, NO. 04-06-180 (2014).
98

M
2003-2013.
99
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., MENTAL HEALTH POLICY DIRECTIVE,

M
NO. 04-06-183 (2013).
76
79
80

2013.
MICH. DEPT OF CORR., Offender Management Network Information (OMNI),
2003-2013.
81
82
83
robation Supervision, MICH. DEPT OF CORR., http://www.michigan.

P
gov/corrections/0,4551,7-119-1435_11634-4999--,00.html (last accessed
Mar. 17, 2014).
M
2003-2013.
84
SARRI supra note 3.
85

2013.
86
Id.
87
argaret E. Leigey & Jessica P. Hodge, And Then They Behaved: Examining the
M
Institutional Misconduct of Adult Inmates Who Were Initially Incarcerated as Juveniles,
93 PRISON J. 3, 272 (2013); Kuanliang et al., Juvenile Inmates in an Adult Prison
System: Rates of Disciplinary Misconduct and Violence, 35 CRIM. JUST. & BEHAV.
9, 1186 (2008)(finding that even after controlling for gang affiliation, education level, time served, conviction for a violent offense, and sentence length,
juvenile inmates were significantly more likely to have committed the specific
misconduct than adult inmates).
Youthful Offenders: Anger Management
Youthful Offenders: Cultural Awareness

Youthful Offenders: Effective Communication
Youthful Offenders: Offender Rights
Youthful Offenders: Suicide Awareness and Prevention
100
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., ADMINISTRATIVE SEGREGATION

M
REPORT (2014).
101
Id.
102
I nterview with Michigan Department of Corrections, Thumb Correctional

Facility Official, in Lansing, M.I. (April, 18, 2014).
103
Mich. Pub. Acts No. 22-23 (2014).
104
iller v. Alabama, 132 S. Ct. 2455 (2012). These factors include a youths
M
age, immaturity level, failure to appreciate risks and consequences, family
and home environment, circumstances of the offense and extent of participation, competency and inabilities to deal with police or prosecutors, and the
possibility of rehabilitation.
105
ich. Pub. Act No. 23 (2014), stating no retroactivity. But see Hill v. Snyder,
M
E. D. Mich. No. 10-14568 (2013)(ruling that the Miller findings should be
applied retroactively in Michigan). There are also 3 LWOP cases that have
recently been argued in front of the Michigan Supreme Court and are awaiting a decision: Mich. v. Carp, No. 146478; Mich. v. Davis, No. 146819; and
Mich. v. Eliason, No. 147428.
106
acts about Life without Parole for Children,THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE FAIR
F
SENTENCING OF YOUTH, http://fairsentencingofyouth.org/what-isjlwop (last accessed April 24, 2014).
107
CLU OF MICH., SECOND CHANCES: JUVENILES SERVING LIFE

A
WITHOUT PAROLE IN MICHIGAN PRISONS 6 (2006).
108
ECOND CHANCES FOR YOUTH, BASIC DECENCY: PROTECTS

ING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 15 (2012).
109
Id.
110
Id.
111

2013.
112
Id.
113
LEGAL ACTION CENTER supra note 25.
114
ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.19b (allowing termination of parental rights

M
for the formerly incarcerated); 20 U.S.C. 1091(r)(1)(automatically prohibiting federal loan dollars for those with a drug conviction); 10 U.S.C. 504
(ineligibility for all armed services); see Michigan Law Reentry for complete
listings of employment and licensing limitations.
115
ICH. DEPT OF CORR., MICHIGAN PRISONER REENTRY A SUCM

CESS STORY (2011)(on file with author).
116
ester Graham, Snyder Administration to cut Program that has Saved Hundreds of
L
Millions in Prison Costs, MICHIGAN RADIO, September 9, 2013; Grace
Ruiter, Prison cuts Force Grand Rapids to Scale Back Prison Reentry Services, CHIMES CALVIN COLLEGE, March 21, 2014, at 4.
117
J OHN ROMAN & JEFFREY BUTTS, THE URBANINSTIT., THE

ECONOMICS OF JUVENILE JURISDICTION (2005).
118
MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(4)(a)-(f).
MICHIGAN COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY

1000 W. ST. JOSEPH ST. STE. 400
LANSING, MI 48915
PHONE (517) 482-4161
MAIL@MICCD.ORG

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Examining

Methodology & Data Limitations

MCCD used qualitative and quantitative data sources to inform

MCCD is grateful to the many collaborators on this project.

The findings herein are limited to those individuals who entered

We dedicate this report to the thousands of young people, their

2014 Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

5 Pathways into Michigans

7 Lawmakers are Listening:

Michigans adult probation and prison systems are not

2 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

Raise the age of juvenile

End the option

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 3

The practice of treating

4 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

Moreover, policy makers are now shifting their focus to be

Pathways into Michigans Adult Criminal Justice System

MICHIGANS HARSH LAWS:

Juvenile delinquency cases are primarily processed in the Family Division

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 5

National research shows that

The Centers for Disease

The average cost of housing a prisoner in Michigan is

The vast majority of youth

6 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

Lawmakers are Listening: Research drives policy change

In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear

life without parole for non-homicide offenses. Most recently,

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 7

Youth in Michigans Adult Justice System

INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE MDOC

Young people who have committed crimes should be held

Age when offense was

EDUCATION LEVEL OF 17-YEAR-OLDS ENTERING MDOC

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 9

17-year-olds comprise the majority of youth

In the last ten years, 95 percent of all youth entering adult

YOUTH UNDER MDOC JURISTICTION

Youth of color are overrepresented among 17-year-olds in the

Nearly 68 percent of all 17-year-olds who entered MDOC in

Source: Offender Management Network Information, 2003-2013. Michigan Department of Corrections.

10 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

Youth 16 and younger charged as adults come from

Transferred Youth: 16-years-old and younger

RACIAL DISPARITY AT STAGES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

American Indian or Alaskan Native

This includes all designated and waived youth.

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 11

Michigan prosecutors have broad discretionary power to charge

12 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

decision to transfer is based mainly on a youths past record or

IS THERE A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE

They say juvenile justice

Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | 13

WAIVERS AND DESIGNATED CASES

Designation proceedings were born out of the concern that

All designated youth will receive an adult criminal conviction if

In a designated proceeding, a youth of any age may be tried, or

14 | YOUTH BEHIND BARS | Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency cases are primarily processed in the Family Division

This includes all designated and waived youth.

While it is the responsibility of

Some youth may be housed in Woodland Center Correctional Facility due to

Solitary confinement, isolation, and segregation are all used interchangeably.

OSEMARY SARRI, ET AL., UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, INSTIR

MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2d

MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.18(1)(m)

MICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.4(5); MCR 3.950(D)(2)

MICH. COMP. LAWS 791.233

MICH. COMP. LAWS 769.25

overnor John Engler, Address to the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of

ICH. COMP. LAWS 712A.2(a). Michigan has considered 17-year-olds as

Hahn, supra note 1.

he average daily prisoner cost in Michigan is $93.97 a day or $34,299 a year.

HE PEW CTR. ON THE STATES, PUBLIC SAFETY PERFORMANCE

REAT LAKES ECONOMIC CONSULTING, THE SOCIO-ECOG

EGAL ACTION CENTER, AFTER PRISON: ROADBLOCKS TO REL