With less than one in four inmates released from a Michigan prison in 2020 ending up back there within three years, the state’s recidivism rate is being recognized as its second lowest since the current tracking method began.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, of the 6,135 inmates who completed their time locked up in 2020 and subsequent community supervision, 22.7% were again behind bars by 2023. The numbers come from the latest three-year, post-release tracking of inmates conducted annually by the MDOC.
For Metro Detroit, the most recently-determined recidivism rate is lower: 17.5 % for Oakland County, 16.7% for Macomb County and 19.8% for Wayne County.
The reoffenders were convicted of a new crime or technical violation of parole within 36 months of their initial release and sent back to prison, according to the MDOC. Not accounted for are those who committed another crime but weren’t caught or weren’t prosecuted.
Statewide, the recidivism rate of the latest group is deemed a near-record low by the MDOC. Outcomes from the three-year follow-ups of 2016 through 2020 show the group released in 2019 had the lowest recidivism rate — 22.1% — but otherwise showed a decline over the five-year period.
Kyle Kaminski, acting spokesperson for the MDOC, told The Oakland Press that his department has been tracking parolees in the same manner since 1998, and the recidivism rate for that group was 45.7%.
The totals include only Michigan prisoners released to Michigan counties using their initial parole office for the county of parole. Other exclusions include interstate parolees, offenders paroled in custody and those who died within three years of parole.
In a news release, MDOC Director Heidi Washington touted the recent near-record low recidivism rate, stating: “Those who work for the MDOC are called upon to do something remarkable, which is to help individuals change their behavior and direction in life. This is not easy work, but every single MDOC employee plays a role in producing these outcomes. I’m pleased to see that our work is making communities safer and helping those we work with find success.”
Nationwide, recidivism rates are substantially higher. According to a report published by the U.S. Department of Justice based on a 2018 study, state prisoner recidivism rates average around 68% for re-arrests within the first three years after release, and markedly rise over the next few years post-release. At least half of those released from prison will at some point again be caught in criminal activity.
As of March 2024, Michigan housed 32,969 inmates in its prison system. The state operates 31 prisons, with just one housing females — Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Washtenaw County.
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