Second chances for youthful offenders key point of bill, state rep says

LANSING, MI - A state representative from Muskegon who sponsored part of the legislation that revamped Michigan's youthful offenders diversion program called it a second chance for those eligible.

As recently amended, the program will be available for more offenders, said state Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon, who inherited the project from former state Rep. Joe Haveman, R-Holland.

"I liked it, because it dealt with giving juveniles the opportunity to be in a separate system," she said. "Basically, it's to give people a second chance."

More youthful offenders will be eligible for a diversion program under the package of bills signed recently into law by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Snyder on May 20 signed into law a package of bills that amended the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, or HYTA. The act which diverts young offenders into an alternative prison and rehabilitation program combating recidivism, or repeat offenses.

Bills in the bipartisan package includes House Bill 4069 from Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit, which expands the HYTA participation ages 17-20 to include 21- to 23-year-olds. It also includes House Bill 4135 from Rep. Kurt Heise R-Plymouth, which would require judges to revoke HYTA status if an offender goes on to commit certain crimes, such as home invasion, carjacking, criminal sexual conduct or felonious assault.

Hovey-Wright's bill makes certain low-end offenses ineligible for HYTA prison. Instead, local and lower-cost options, like jail and probation, must be used for those who commit breaking and entering and controlled substance offenses.

Her bill also maintains segregated housing units for HYTA offenders between the ages of 17-20 in order to keep younger offenders separated from older HYTA offenders and regular adult prison inmates, where they can be easy targets for sexual assault or learn criminal habits from older offenders.

Hovey-Wright's bill also lowers the maximum amount of time that an individual can be placed in HYTA prison from three to two years, and allow HYTA prisoners to be placed on probation for up to one year after serving their sentence, requiring local courts to continue to supervise the offender for up to a year following a prison term.

She said the expansion of HYTA is part of a much-needed reform of Michigan Corrections. Many policymakers' opinions have evolved from the tough-on-crime movement of the 1990s, she said.

"That's no longer the mindset," Hovey-Wright said. "It's being tough on the right crimes."

She said a report on Michigan corrections by the Council of State Governments had been insightful.

"What they said was, you put too many people in prison, you keep them too long, and they cost you a bunch of money."

One-fifth of the state's money is spent on corrections, according to the council.

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