C II for
pri on
reform
ed fro Pel
ith tbe co t rising each year.
Blacks go. to prison in
proportionatel y larger num­
bers than hi res. In
Michigan, 13 percent of tbe
population is Black but 55
percent of the prison popula­
tion is African-American, ac­
cording to the AFSC.
PROt'ESSOR CHARLES
Bright, Residential College,
gave a brief history of the
Michigan Prison System, and
pointed out prisons are not
being u cd for rehabilitation
but for arehousing people.
Bright indic ted there was
no rehabilitation ideology in
the Michigan prison- in 1975,
bccau c offici I did not want
to be lablcd racists in trying to
conform Black pri oners to
, white uandards.
Another attempt to avoid
being tabled raci t to get
rid of large ind tri 1 pri on
for smaller dorm-type pri ODS.
City
challenge
cen u count
By Derrick C. Le i
Stall Reporter
JIIGIILA D PK - Highland
P r i challcn ing the
prelimin ry cen u count of
19.649 people a being too
low.
The' count rcprc ents a
deere e in the city population
of 29.6 percent or about S(X)()
people. accordi ng to Hi hland
P r Public Relations Direc­
tor Phillip Heath.
Community Development
Director Thomas Kelley said.
"We know that there ha been
a decline. but not 29-30 per­
cent." Hi. department
estimate's there arc 22-23 '
thou and people in the city.
Kelley aid his department
" " - - '�-.. --- - - . - , - - - -
. .
. ' .
. _... - -
This attitud to ard
rehabilitation pJaye.d into the
. hands of Reaganism, with the
"white backlash" -agai t civil
rights to get tough on crime,
nd build more prisons to hold
more people, according to
Bright. -
Senate Fiscal
Analyst/Economist William
Burgbar4t spoke on "Tbe Cost
ofa 'Lock Em Up' Mentality,"
and gave a cost breakdown of
the nations prison system .
HE I DICATED spend­
ing by federal. state, and local
agencie in 1985 wa a com­
bined S48.5 bil lion on police,
judicial, and correction ser­
vices. which represented only
3 percen of governmental
spending in the nation.
Local municipalities paid
6.5 percent of the co t, the
state 33.6 percent. and the
federal government 6.4 per­
cent.
MiChigan appropriated 9.4
percent of its 1989-90 fiscal
budget for corrections. The
cost of corrections ha in­
creased by 158.6 percent from
fi cal years 83-84 to 89-90.
Price in reases for 4-year
universiric ro e 57 percent
over the arne period. with
know there were evcral
places in the city tbat were not
counted or were omitted.
Kelley c timates Highland
Par could lose up to
$500,000 for every 1000
people not counted.
Kelley 'aid, a recount will
be done by hi department and,
the Cen u. Bureau. "The city
ha challenged the censu. in
order that we do not be
shortchanged potnicalty or
financially. We are a king
citizen to cooperate fully in
regard to a census recount."
Heath announced a "Were
You Called Campaign" i in
place until 30 September. He
want citizens who think they
were not counted to pick up
cen us pplications at any city
office for the last-call- count
conducted by the city and the
Ceo Bureau. For que tions
a out the cen us. call 252-
0026.
8300 GRATIOT
571-6690
20050 LIVERNOIS AVE
862 .. 5030
MO - THUR FAI-SAT
1 A.M. 'TO 2 A. . ,I 11 A. . TO 3 A.M.
RDERS FROM 11 A. . TO 2 P.M.
SEPTEMBER 23.2', 1
MICHIGAN CITIZEN PAGE II
mental health ri ing 47.3 per­
cent, K-12 education 39.2 per­
cent, public health 32.7
percent, and social services
'8.3 percent.
Michigan prison construc­
tion cost during fiscal year 88-
89 'was $300.8 million, and'
peaked during the 89-90 fiscal
year at, $308 million. Bxpen-:
ditures for the 90-91 and 91-
92 fiscal ye rs are projected at
$146.8 and $87 million
re pecfively.
ing a prisoner in a maximum
c)lrity prison i $25,750 per
year. The Special Alternative
Incarceration Progr m cost
$6,665 per pri onere These
are program which allo
prisoner to perform com­
munity work instead of go to
jail, and others which do not
entail incarceration;
Prison admissions from
January to August 0 1989
ere 8,460, the same period
in 1990 admitted 8.205
prisoners. This 3.0 percent
decrease in prison admi sions
attributed to the Alterna­
tive Incarceration Program by
Burgh rdt.
The AFSC y tbe gro -
ing co t of tbe prison system
needs to be ddre ed by
SOCiety as a wbole, and inc r­
ceration is not n answer to
tbe v t social problem th t
the country face, ith young
Bl c men half likely to die
a violent deatb in Mic igan
tban anywhere e l e in tbe
country.
THE CO TO i nca rce rat-
I
•
I •
.. ,
•
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you'll save on parking and � u'll save yourself the hassle ot commuting by ndlJlg
the S ART Bus. It' alwa s been the smart way to go, now it's even smarter.
hedu and f