LANSING — Today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2019-10 to form the Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. The task force will kick start a bipartisan review of the state’s jail and court data to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions and length of stay, and improve the effectiveness of Michigan’s justice system. The Pew Center received a broad mandate to gather and analyze data related to Michigan’s jail populations, assess information regarding Michigan laws, budgetary decisions and county-level practices, and help evaluate how those practices align with legal and constitutional principles. In response, state Rep. David LaGrand (D-Grand Rapids), who is the lead on a ten bill package addressing bail reform in Michigan, issued the following statement:
“I am glad, all three branches of government and stakeholders are coming together to make pretrial incarceration and cash bail reform a priority. The Pew Center will be conducting a multifaceted study looking into Michigan’s jail population. I look forward to working with the Task Force as we move forward in continuing efforts to improve the pre-trial system.”