Whitmer signs bill modifying medically frail parole options into law

(The Center Square) – Severely health-compromised prisoners in Michigan will have more care placement options under a new law signed by the governor Tuesday.

“This aligns with Gov. Whitmer’s prioritization of criminal justice reform by promoting humane treatment for corrected individuals, which can lead to better outcomes for both prisoners and the broader Michigan community,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

The new law addresses implementation issues of the 2019 “Medically Frail Parole” law, which introduced medical parole as an option for chronically health-compromised prisoners. Now, prisoners eligible for medical parole can be placed in locations other than a medical facility, such as their own home. Home placement would require the prisoner to wear an ankle monitor.

The legislation also aims to reduce the financial strain on prison resources and Michigan’s General Fund by transferring the cost of care to Medicaid–which is largely federally funded–or other insurers.

“When Michigan passed the Medically Frail Parole statute in 2019, the state signaled a pragmatic intention in the Dept. of Corrections that acknowledges and understands that people who are medically frail don’t pose a threat to public safety,” said state Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, who sponsored the bill. “Unforeseen issues prevented that vision from initially being realized, but there’s a reason this bill received the bipartisan support it needed to pass: It’s common sense. SB 599 provides important fixes to make sure this program operates as intended."