Featured photo: Michigan Justice Fund partner retreat in Flint, held February 2024
By Tanya Terry
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Since its launch in 2020, MJF has granted 163 grants totaling $9,701,095 to 56 different organizations across all 83 counties in Michigan to help our communities thrive.
In addition to uplifting its partners, the MJF 2023 impact report highlights many emerging criminal reform and economic resilience trends the Fund is seeing as a result of its ongoing efforts, including:
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Prison population rates are down 4% since 2020, according to a 2024 landscape scan commissioned by the Michigan Justice Fund.
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The population of individuals under Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) parole supervision fell by nearly 30% between 2020 and 2022.
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These declines have coincided with a decrease in violent crime rates, suggesting that reduced incarceration and safer communities can go hand-in-hand.
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Ashley Carter, director of Michigan Justice Fund (MJF), recently discussed with the Courier why the issue of mass incarceration is so important to her and others within and outside of MJF, and how MJF works to shift spending away from incarceration and towards programming.
“I think it’s important to consider that justice-involved individuals are part of our society,” said Carter. “I see mass incarceration as the issue of racial inequity and also poverty. In Michigan, almost one third of the people in the state have some sort of criminal record. We also know that people of color are disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system. Michigan is 14% Black roughly, but 53% of the people in prison. I think this issue is important because it impacts marginalized communities. I believe that by addressing issues of mass incarceration, we’re ultimately improving the quality of life for communities.”
MJF Is a funder collaborative that’s focused on addressing issues of mass incarceration across the state of Michigan. There are three primary issues of focus within MJF. One is supporting the economic mobility of justice involved individuals. The second is reducing the state’s reliance on incarceration as a response to harm. The third is supporting advocacy and movement work focused on mass incarceration.
During the 2024 Mackinaw Policy Conference, held from Tuesday, May 28 to Friday, May 31, 2024, MJF was on hand to discuss criminal justice reforms.
“We want to create pathways to opportunity in terms of education and employment for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system,” stated Carter. “That could be a young person who was criminalized and experienced the juvenile justice system, all the way to people who are coming home from prison in the state. 95% of the people in prison will be released. So, we need to make sure there’s opportunity for them so that they don’t enter the same cycles that ultimately get them criminalized.”
Three of MJF’s main funders are in Flint: The Community Foundation for Greater Flint, the Ruth Mott Foundation and the C.S. Mott Foundation.
“We don’t fund policy, but we do work around public education focused on policies. Our statewide work touches Flint because Genesee County is the fourth highest represented county in the Michigan Department of Corrections.”
MJF works with the MADE Institute, which is focused on Flint, and Nation Outside, which has a Flint chapter.
“We’ve also supported voting work that impacts people who are incarcerated in the Genesee County Jail, raising awareness around their right to vote and helping to increase their access to vote.”
Carter pointed out people who are being held pre-trial, meaning they haven’t been convicted, and people on probation and parole can still vote in Michigan.
“A lot of the people who are criminalized are criminalized because they’re poor. So, it’s very clear to us that systems of incarceration are not working and we should be creating different opportunities for people to go to good schools, get good jobs and build healthy lives.”
Carter suggests people pay attention to local elections and choose candidates who are serious about addressing disparities and poverty and who are interested in working towards community focused solutions. She also said to those who own businesses or have the ability to hire – they can create opportunities for people who are justice involved, instead of excluding them from economic opportunity. Carter pointed out there are also opportunities to call legislators in regards to programs like Housing Not Hurdles, which is designed to remove legal discrimination for justice involved individuals.
