SJM speaks on controversial Sentencing Commission appointment

On Thursday, September 17, the Michigan Sentencing Commission had its most recent meeting. Safe & Just Michigan and other partners fought hard to create the Commission. About half of all states have a commission like Michigan’s, which reviews sentencing standards and strives to make sentencing more uniform across a state. Michigan had been without such a body for several years after the Criminal Justice Policy Commission was disbanded in 2019.

While we see the formation of the Sentencing Commission as a positive move for our state, there has been concern over one of the seats on the commission. According to the law that created Michigan’s Sentencing Commission, one seat was designated to be filled by someone who has lived experience in the justice system. Many people were surprised to see that seat filled by Rick Jones, a former state senator and Eaton County Sheriff who has spent one day in jail. Some feel that seat should be given to someone who has more lived experience inside the system to draw from.

Safe & Just Michigan Director of Policy Tony Gant addressed the controversy at the most recent meeting. He said, in part, that, “This Commission includes judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, legislators, and other professionals who bring important expertise to the table. But there is another form of expertise that is equally valuable: the expertise that comes from living through the consequences of sentencing decisions.

“People who have spent years or decades incarcerated understand firsthand how sentencing policies affect rehabilitation, prison conditions, family connections, re-entry outcomes, employment opportunities, housing stability, and public safety. Their experiences provide insights that cannot be learned from reports, courtrooms, or legislative hearings alone.”

We encourage you to read the full statement here: safeandjustmi.org/2026/09/21/public-comment-made-to-the-sentencing-commission-on-september-17-2026/.

Watch video of our Signature Event celebration

We held our annual Signature Event on September 3, and we hope you were in the room to celebrate with us. That evening, we heard from The Clean Slate Initiative CEO Sheena Meade, who congratulated our state on five years of fresh starts with Clean Slate legislation. We also handed out awards to some of our communities most dedicated advocates. The William G. Milliken Award was presented to state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt), while Humanity for Prisoners received the Justice Warrior Award and Felecia Tyson-Waters accepted the Lifetime of Service Award for her husband, Ronnie Waters.

We invite you to watch our program from the evening, which you can find at bit.ly/SigEvent2026. Or, if you would just like to hear what Sheena Meade had to say that night, you can find that portion of the program at bit.ly/SigEvent2026Meade.

To learn more, visit us at www.safeandjustmi.org. If you would like to join our efforts, email us at info@safeandjustmi.org or sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/sjmsignup.

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