Citizens for Prison Reform

06/03/2026

🚨 Michigan Expungement Fairs 🚨

Safe & Just Michigan is hosting free Expungement Fairs across Michigan to help eligible individuals clear their records and learn about the expungement process.

Learn more and register: https://safeandjustmi.org/events/

06/03/2026

Michigan cannot safely and humanely operate overcrowded prisons. Learn more and take action: https://michigancollaborative.org/2026/05/the-crisis-at-whv-is-bigger-than-one-prison/?link_id=4&can_id=c32ee722651656327adf8a90f92c0f8a&source=email-mi-cemis-20252026-priorities-protect-mi-care-coalition-mdoc-in-the-spotlight-and-more-4&email_referrer&email_subject=the-crisis-in-mdoc-budget-updates-and-upcoming-mi-cemi-events -time-to-act

06/03/2026

This year, communication through Citizens for Prison Reform’s Family Participation Program has grown to the highest level we have seen since launching the program.

More incarcerated individuals and families across Michigan are reaching out regarding medical crises, mental health concerns, emergencies, parole preparation, concerns about conditions, and urgent advocacy needs. Every week, we are responding to more letters, JPay messages, and requests for support than ever before.

In just the couple of weeks alone, we have already used hundreds of JPay stamps communicating directly with incarcerated individuals across Michigan. This does not include our U.S Mail communications.

These messages matter.

Sometimes communication becomes the first step in medical advocacy. Sometimes it helps connect families. Sometimes it helps document significant concerns or support someone through a mental health crisis. Sometimes it simply helps ensure someone knows they were heard.

We created a JPay Stamp Fund to help sustain these growing communication and advocacy efforts.

Every $20 donation helps provide approximately 100 JPay stamps so we can continue responding to incarcerated individuals during critical moments.

If you would like to support this work, you can donate here:

JPay Stamp Fund – Help Us Stay Connected
https://give-usa.keela.co/jpay-stamp-fund-help-us-stay-connected

(If you are trying to donate using a mobile phone you may have to open the link using an external browser or copy/paste the link in your browser outside of Facebook.)

Thank you to everyone who continues supporting incarcerated individuals and families across Michigan.

As communication volume continues to increase, we are looking for additional volunteers interested in helping support correspondence and advocacy efforts with incarcerated individuals and families across Michigan.

If you may be interested in joining our correspondence and advocacy team, you can learn more and sign up here:

Volunteer Sign-Up Form
https://form-usa.keela.co/volunteer-sign-up-form3

06/03/2026

Food and nutrition remain some of the most common concerns we hear from families and incarcerated individuals across Michigan prisons.

Access to healthy, nutritious food is not just about comfort. It impacts physical health, mental health, chronic illness, healing, energy levels, rehabilitation, and overall well being. We believe meaningful improvements to food and nutrition inside prisons could play an important role in preventative and long term healthcare.

We are asking families, or anyone with a loved one currently incarcerated in the Michigan Department of Corrections to please take a few minutes to complete our Food & Nutrition Survey. Your feedback and experiences are incredibly valuable and help us better understand concerns happening across facilities.

Please also share this survey widely with other families and community members connected to the Michigan prison system. The more feedback we receive, the stronger the data and advocacy efforts become.

Thank you for helping us continue pushing for healthier, safer, and more humane conditions inside Michigan prisons.

https://form-usa.keela.co/food-and-nutrition-in-prison

06/02/2026

The MDOC has released a new video tutorial designed to help families better understand the visiting process.

The video walks through how to apply for approval, schedule visits, and understand visiting standards and expectations.

For anyone with questions about visitation, this may be a helpful resource to review and share with loved ones.

For more information & visitor applications:
https://www.michigan.gov/corrections/for-families/visiting-a-prisoner

Information on how to visit a prisoner, visiting schedules, visitin...

06/02/2026

MDOC shared the following information with us regarding the response currently taking place inside Muskegon Correctional Facility related to the reported scabies outbreak.

According to MDOC, multiple housing units have been placed on outbreak status after a small number of confirmed cases were identified. Individuals residing in impacted units are considered close contacts and are being monitored and provided preventative treatment.

MDOC states treatment will include oral medication administered in two doses one week apart, with topical treatment available for individuals unable to take the medication. The department also reports that enhanced cleaning measures, laundering of clothing, and sealing of certain soft property items are being implemented in affected units.

MDOC further shared that impacted units are currently on restricted movement status to reduce contact with other housing units. In person visitation for those units has been suspended during this period, though video visitation remains available.

There are also concerns from families and the incarcerated population about whether changes to laundry and sanitation policies may be needed to help prevent situations like this from occurring or spreading in the future.

As with any communicable illness in a congregate setting, situations like this highlight the importance of timely medical care, sanitation practices, transparency, and communication with families regarding conditions inside correctional facilities.

Several housing units at the Muskegon Correctional Facility are under quarantine due to an outbreak of a highly contagious skin infection, officials confirmed to News 8.