Imagine scrolling through your feed and you see a story about someone who was issued sentence of life without possibility of parole… and you realize it means that person will grow old and die prison. That’s the harsh reality of Life Without Parole (LWOP). The next Michigan governor must commute these sentences. It’s not about ignoring the past; it’s about building a fairer future where everyone gets a shot at redemption.
Commuting LWOP upholds human rights, promotes rehabilitation, saves taxpayer dollars, and fixes constitutional flaws, making it an urgent, no-brainer move for Michigan.
Human Rights Matters
First, on human rights: LWOP strips away basic dignity, treating people as disposable. It disproportionately hits Black and Indigenous communities, echoing historical injustices that our democracy should fix. I get the resistance—folks worry about safety if we let people out—but data from the Sentencing Project (2025) shows that after decades, most reformed individuals reintegrate without reoffending. We’re talking real people with families waiting; commuting LWOP says we value humanity over punishment.
Rehabilitation is key, too. Programs like job training and counseling (e.g., Michigan’s own prison education initiatives) prove that people can change.
A study by the Vera Institute (2025) found that access to these reduces recidivism by 30%. If we keep them locked up forever, we’re wasting potential—think of the teachers, workers, or mentors they could become. It’s not soft; it’s smart, disarming the “they’ll just mess up again” myth with facts.
Budgetary Issues Also Play a Part
Budget-wise, Michigan’s prisons cost us billions annually (Michigan Department of Corrections, 2025 report). Commuting LWOP frees up funds for schools and healthcare, easing the strain on taxpayers. Plus, it’s a constitutional issue: LWOP violates Michigan’s Constitution (Article 1, Section 16), banning cruel punishments, as ruled in cases like People of the State of Michigan v. Poole, 510 Mich. 851, 977 N.W.2d 530 (2022). This isn’t just policy; it’s a breach of our state’s promise of equal justice.
The emotional urgency hits hard—right now, in 2025, families are broken, dreams are dying, and it’s on us to act. Waiting means more lives lost.
Michigan, let’s choose hope over hopelessness. Commuting LWOP is a win for all: human rights, rehab, budgets, and our Constitution. The Michigan governor can lead this change, disarming doubts with compassion.
References
- The Sentencing Project. (2024). “A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long Term Imprisonment in the United States.” Retrieved from https://www.sentencingproject.org.
- Vera Institute of Justice. (2025). “Reimagining Prison.” Retrieved from https://www.vera.org.
- Michigan Department of Corrections. (2025). “Annual Budget Report.” Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/corrections.
- Michigan Supreme Court held that its 2022 decision in People v. Parks — that mandatorily sentencing to life-without-parole defendants who were 18 at the time of their charged crimes violates the state’s “cruel or unusual” punishment clause — applies retroactively.
