When Johnnie Walters walked out of prison after 13.5 years, he had no roadmap for rebuilding his life. It wasn’t until he connected with a reentry program supported by the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) that things began to change.

With just a few essentials — clothing, guidance and someone who believed in his potential — Johnnie found his footing. Now, as Michigan begins to implement the state Supreme Court’s landmark decision banning mandatory life without parole for individuals under 21, state lawmakers face a critical choice: Will the state prepare for the return of people with care and foresight, or will the state revert to punitive strategies, which experts know fail to make communities safer and undermine this important reform?

See Full Page