State Rep. Sarah Lightner said reforms are needed to make Michigan’s parole process more effective and offer more support for survivors of traumatic crimes.

When a prisoner is denied parole in Michigan, the Parole Board is currently required to review the case every one or two years, depending on the circumstances. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, Lightner said this process forces victims to frequently relive the traumatic events of a crime, even when there is little to no chance of a prisoner ever receiving parole.

“It can be incredibly hard for survivors of horrendous crimes to move forward with their lives – and it’s even harder when we have a parole system that forces them to relive their trauma year after year,” Lightner said. “The changes I’m working on will better support victims and give them the peace of mind they need to move on with their lives.”

Randy Gilbert, who survived an attack by serial killer Don Miller in the 1970s, also testified about the trauma he experiences every time a parole hearing is held.

“I feel like I’ve served a life sentence because I have to re-live this over and over,” Gilbert said. “If we had five years in between it would be very helpful for victims. It would give us time to live our lives and plan ahead. Right now, I really can’t plan ahead, I have to think day-to-day: ‘What am I going to do if he’s released?’”

Gilbert detailed a year in the life of a victim, pointing out that he received a letter letting him know Miller would be up for parole last January. He then starts a process of meeting with prosecutors and law enforcement to form a plan, giving testimony for the parole board, and waiting. In August, he received notification that Miller had been denied parole. This January, he received another letter and started the process over again.

Lightner is sponsoring bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, to give the Michigan Parole Board additional flexibility to extend the amount of time between when parole is denied and when the next review must be conducted.

Under House Bills 4562-63, the parole board would be allowed to go up to five years before conducting a subsequent review after a prisoner is denied parole if a majority of the parole board finds, in writing, that the prisoner’s history of predatory, deviant, or violent behavior indicates there is a present risk of public safety that cannot reasonably be expected to be mitigated in less than 60 months.

The plan remains under consideration by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

###