Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday announced appointments to the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration.
“We need to take meaningful steps to reform our criminal justice system, because the number of people in local jails has tripled over the last 35 years, but crime rates in Michigan are the lowest they’ve been in 50 years,” Whitmer said. “This task force is an opportunity to see how we can make the system better for the people of our state and make Michigan an example for the country on jail and pretrial reform.”
Those appointed to the task force are:
• Amanda Alexander, of Detroit, is the founding executive director of Detroit Justice Center. Alexander is appointed as a representative of community corrections or pretrial services, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Jerry Clayton, of Ann Arbor, is the sheriff of Washtenaw County. Clayton is appointed to represent a county sheriff or county jail administrator from a county with a population of 200,000 or more according to the most recent decennial census from a list of two or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Craig DeRoche, of Novi, is the senior vice president for Advocacy and Public Policy at Prison Fellowship and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. DeRoche is appointed to represent an individual recognized as a faith leader or a community leader appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• William Gutzwiller Sr., of Essexville, is the director of Public Safety for the City of Essexville. Gutzwiller is appointed to represent a police chief appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Police Chiefs, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Dale “DJ” Hilson, of Muskegon, is the Muskegon County prosecutor. Hilson?is appointed to represent a county prosecutor appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Monica Jahner, of Lansing, is the Advocacy, Reentry, Resources, and Outreach (ARRO) program manager and legislative advocate at Northwest Initiative, a Lansing grassroots organization to eliminate barriers for returning citizens. Jahner is appointed to represent an individual who is a formerly incarcerated?person appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Sheryl Kubiak, of Milford, is the dean of Social Work at Wayne State University. Kubiak is appointed to represent a community member who is a crime survivor or victim advocate, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Jim Miller, of Allegan, is a lieutenant and jail administrator for the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department. Lieutenant Miller is appointed to represent a county sheriff or jail administrator from a county with a population less than 200,000 according to the most recent decennial census from a list of two or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Takura Nyamfukudza, of Lansing, is a criminal defense attorney with Chartier & Nyamfukudza PLC and a veteran of the United States Army National Guard. Nyamfukudza is appointed to represent an individual who is a public defender or a criminal defense attorney for indigent clients appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Bill Peterson, of Alpena, is an Alpena County commissioner. Peterson is appointed to represent a member of a board of county commissioners from a county with a population of less than 200,000 according to the most recent decennial census from a list of two or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Counties, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• James R. Talen, of Grand Rapids,?is a?Kent County commissioner. Talen is appointed to represent a member of a board of county commissioners from a county with a population of 200,000 or more according to the most recent decennial census from a list of two or more nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Counties, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
• Robert VerHeulen, of Walker, is a Kent County road commissioner. He previously served as a State Representative, the Mayor of the City of Walker, and an attorney for Meijer Inc. VerHeulen is appointed to represent an individual recognized as a community leader or a business leader appointed from a list of one or more nominees submitted by the Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate, for a term expiring September 30, 2020.
In addition to Whitmer’s appointments, the following representatives of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government will serve on the Task Force:
• Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II will represent the executive branch of state government.
• Attorney General Dana Nessel will represent the executive branch of state government.
• Chief Justice Bridget McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court will represent the judicial branch of state government.
• Judge Prentis Edwards Jr. of the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County is designated by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
• Judge Thomas P. Boyd of the 55th District Court of Ingham County is designated by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
• Senator Jim Runestad of the 15th Senate District?is designated by the Senate majority leader.
• Senator Sylvia Santana of the 3rd Senate District is designated by the Senate minority leader.
• Representative Mike Mueller of the 51st House District is designated by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Representative Tenisha Yancey of the 1st House District is designated by the House minority leader.
The lieutenant governor and the chief justice of the Supreme Court are designated as co-chairpersons of the Task Force.
The Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration was established by Whitmer’s Executive Order No. 2019-10. The Task Force acts in an advisory capacity with the goal of developing ambitious, innovative, and thorough recommendations for changes in state law, policy, and appropriations to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions and length of stay, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Michigan’s justice systems.
These appointments are not subject to advice and consent of the Senate.
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