Michigan

For Media Inquiries:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM’s Deputy Director of Policy Maria Goellner to testify at Michigan Senate Oversight Committee hearing on changes to prison ombudsman process

LANSING – FAMM’s Deputy Director of Policy Maria Goellner will testify at the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday in support of a bill that would make changes to the office of the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman in Michigan.

“We fully support making it easier for more people to report issues in Michigan’s prisons,” Goellner said. “Allowing expanded access to filing complaints will make it easier for the Ombudsman’s office to conduct investigations, and ultimately, make prisons safer places for both staff and incarcerated people. We thank Senator Sylvia Santana for advocating this important issue.”

The bill would allow family members, advocates, and Michigan Department of Corrections staff to file formal complaints with the Ombudsman, require the Ombudsman to establish standardized forms, and create reporting requirements, among other changes. FAMM is working with Michigan Citizens for Prison Reformin supporting the bill.

For more than three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM has led the fight to reform extreme mandatory sentencing laws and to promote rehabilitation and dignity for all people in prison, 94 percent of whom will return to our neighborhoods one day.

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FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safely reduce incarceration, save taxpayer dollars, and keep families together. Founded in 1991, FAMM has secured bold sentencing and prison reform across the country while elevating the voices of directly impacted individuals and families.