Earlier this year, Legislation introduced by Lansing Democrats would allow the most violent offenders to reduce their prison sentences. In the first committee hearing on the bill the committee chair only allowed brief testimony from opponents of the bill, none of whom were crime victims — even though numerous victims attended the meeting in order to testify.
This sickening plan is nothing more than an attempt to resentence and release Michigan’s most violent criminals. Under the legislation, rapists, murderers, and pedophiles could all see their sentences reduced and wind up back in our communities. These individuals are in prison for a reason. Somewhere is a son without a father and a woman who still deals with irreversible trauma from crimes committed decades ago. The responsibility of the justice system is to deliver justice for victims and their families, not to cater to people trying to downplay their violent crimes as mistakes deserving wholesale reconsideration.
House Bills 4556-4560 would allow almost all convicted criminals, including those sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, to request a shorter sentence after serving only 10 years in prison. New prison terms can even be shorter than a crime’s mandatory minimum sentence required by law. Even if a request is denied, a criminal can continue requesting a lower sentence every two to five years, forcing victims and victims’ family members to relive their trauma each time they testify against the perpetrator.
According to data, these bills would allow more than 7,450 murderers, 3,700 people convicted of criminal sexual conduct, and 1,800 armed robbers to seek a lower sentence. Prisoners serving life sentences make up over one-third of those eligible for release under the proposal. More than 5,100 murderers would be immediately eligible to request a lower sentence.
I’m proud to have worked with law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims rights groups to apply enough pressure to have stopped these bills from progressing. This is one of the many reasons I’ve been proudly endorsed by Michigan’s Fraternal Order of Police. Unfortunately, anything can happen in politics. Arms can be twisted, deals can be cut, and these bills could once again see the light of day under a Democrat House Majority. When Republicans take back the gavel this November, we’ll stand with victims of violent crime, law enforcement, and prosecutors and make sure these bills are buried – permanently.
Serving you is an honor, and as always, if you have any questions, comments, or need help with any state agencies please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 517-373-1799 or at paulinewendzel@house.mi.gov.
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