Letter to MI Oversight Committee on Pretrial Policies Hearing
June 14, 2022
| Representative Steve Johnson Chair House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building N-1091 House Office Building Lansing, MI 48933 + |
Representative Pat Outman Majority Vice Chair House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building S-1089 House Office Building Lansing, MI 48933 + |
| Representative Julie Brixie Minority Vice Chair House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building 124 N Capitol Ave Lansing, MI 48933 + |
Representative Michele Hoitenga Member House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building S-1386 House Office Building Lansing, MI 48933 + |
| Representative John Reilly Member House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building N-895 House Office Building Lansing, MI 48933 + |
Representative Jeff Yaroch Member House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building N-797 House Office Building Lansing, MI 48933 + |
| Representative Jack O’Malley Member House Oversight Committee 375 Capitol Building P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909-7514 + |
Representative David LaGrand Member House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building 124 N Capitol Ave Lansing, MI 48933 + |
| Representative Stephanie Young Member House Oversight Committee Anderson House Office Building 124 N Capitol Ave Lansing, MI 48933 + |
Dear Chairman S. Johnson, Majority Vice Chair Outman, Minority Vice Chair Brixie, and members of the Oversight Committee,
Thank you for holding a hearing regarding pretrial release issues in Michigan, an important issue that impacts the lives of many Michiganders. CEO Action for Racial Equity1 is a Fellowship of over 100 signatory organizations2 from across America, many of whom have significant presence in Michigan. Ranging from manufacturers to accountants, retailers and other suppliers, we mobilize business leaders with diverse expertise to advance public policy.
The stories shared during the Oversight Committee hearing on June 9, 2022 make clear the negative impact that current pretrial policies can have on individuals, their families, and employers. We would like to emphasize the adverse impacts to businesses. Current pretrial practices exacerbate the labor shortage and disrupt business operations when employees that are not a risk to public safety sit in jail pretrial. Further, Michigan businesses have been working hard to foster diversity and inclusion to help drive innovation and business success, and current pretrial policies have a disproportionate impact on people of color. These policies make it difficult for many people of color to reach their full potential, thereby reducing the diverse talent available in communities for businesses to hire the equitable, inclusive, and skilled workforce needed to remain competitive.
We believe that increasing pretrial fairness will improve the lives of thousands by bringing more equity and fairness to our justice system, and can help businesses maintain and build inclusive workforces, ultimately driving economic growth and development in Michigan. CEO Action for Racial Equity applauds your leadership in considering this issue and encourages the legislature to prioritize solutions.
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Sincerely,
CEO Action for Racial Equity
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CC:
Hon. Jason Wentworth
Hon. Pamela Hornberger
Hon. Ben Frederick
Hon. Donna Lasinski
Hon. Yousef Rabhi
Citations
1 https://ceoactionracialequity.com/
2 https://ceoactionracialequity.com/our-story/
