Former Michigan lawmaker Ken Sikkema says he is disappointed that criminal justice reform did not pass before lawmakers adjourned for the year. But Sikkema says he believes the legislature will take the issue up again in the new session.
Sikkema served for 20 years in the Legislature, including a stint as Republican Senate Majority Leader from 2002 to ’06. He is now a Senior Policy Fellow at Public Sector Consultants in Lansing. Sikkema supports efforts to reform criminal justice reform. He spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans about what the proposed reforms would do, and their chances for legislative approval in 2017.
Lawmakers did approve some bills to compensate people who are convicted and later exonerated of crimes, and others to pay for legal representation of indigent defendants. Sikkema says that “nibbles at the edges” of criminal justice reform. He says parole reform is a major initiative. The proposed legislation would require someone who has served minimum sentence and is determined to be low-risk of re-offending to be paroled. Sikkema says “presumptive parole” would save money and he says research nationally has shown that keeping low-risk prisoners in prison for a longer period of time doesn’t improve public safety.
"Then it gets tougher because lots of issues get politicized."
Asked why he thinks reforms will come back in the next legislative session, Sikkema says the political makeup of Legislature won’t change in January. Republicans will still control the state House, Senate and governor’s office. Sikkema says momentum remains in place. He says criminal justice reform is one of the few issues that has united liberals and conservatives.
But Sikkema says he hopes the Legislature acts quickly next year. He says 2018 is a big election year in Michigan, with the governor’s seat, state Senate and House all up for election. Sikkema says once an election year begins “then it gets tougher because lots of issues get politicized.”
