March 9, 2026

The Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), supported by Arnold Ventures, today released a new report analyzing Michigan’s prison population and sentencing trends, revealing that restrictive sentencing policies are driving the state’s prison population upward even as crime rates remain steady.

The report finds that over 65% of Michigan’s incarcerated population is serving sentences of ten years or more, often with limited opportunity for review or reduction. Policies such as consecutive sentences, sentence stacking, and habitual offender enhancements mean that people remain incarcerated far beyond what evidence shows improves public safety. These practices contribute to an aging prison population, rising corrections costs, and increasingly disproportionate outcomes.

Michigan has the data and tools to advance evidence-based sentencing reform, but without deliberate action, the state risks prolonging unnecessarily long prison stays,” said Len Engel, Esq., CJI Director of Policy & Campaigns.

Key Findings

  • Population growth: Michigan’s prison population is up 3% since 2021 after decades of decline, with more individuals receiving additional sentences while already incarcerated.
  • Longer sentences: Average minimum terms have risen 30% over the past decade, from 9.3 years in 2014 to 12 years in 2023.
  • Drug offenses: Minimum terms for drug offenses grew 33% in the past ten years.
  • Exceeding statutory maximums: Minimum terms for top offenses frequently surpass statutory maximums indicating the impacts of consecutive sentences, sentence stacking, and habitual offender enhancements.

Recommendations for Policymakers

To advance reform, the report recommends Michigan:

  1. Leverage the Sentencing Commission to produce data-driven recommendations and corresponding legislation.
  2. Use corrections data to identify policies contributing to long stays, especially those related to enhancements, habitual offenders, and additional sentences on already incarcerated individuals.
  3. Analyze the fiscal impact of long sentences in light of budget volatility and an aging prison population.
  4. Reintroduce policies to reduce length of stay early in the 2026 legislative session, backed by fiscal and public safety data.

 

A Timely Resource for 2026

With statewide elections and a new legislative session underway, this report provides essential context for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders considering sentencing reforms. While reforms such as Clean Slate expansion, bail reform, and medical parole demonstrate the state’s capacity for change, Michigan still faces long prison sentences and extended lengths of stay that this report aims to address.

This research has been cited by Bridge Michigan: Longer sentences push Michigan prisons closer to capacity – Bridge Michigan

Read the full report: Staying Too Long: Michigan’s Stalled Sentencing Reform

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Contact: For more information, or to discuss the report, reach out to cjiconnect@cjinstitute.org.