April 14, 2003
April 14, 2003
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| Clean up crews were working I-94 from 23 Mile Road to St. Clair Road, in Macomb County. |
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Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced a new effort to use minimum security offenders housed in the state's corrections system to beautify Michigan's highways. The offenders will pick up litter and other debris from Michigan roadways under a new program called Project C.L.E.A.N. (Cleaning Expressways and Neighborhoods).
"Not only are we making Michigan highways cleaner, we are providing a way for offenders to pay back the community and their victims," Granholm said. "This is a win-win for the Michigan taxpayers and a great model of departmental cooperation between the Departments of Corrections and Transportation."
Project C.L.E.A.N. began today with the first crews of offenders cleaning up a stretch of I-275 from the Sheldon Road entrance to M-14 to I-275 and then I-275 North to the I-96 Novi Exit. It is expected that up to 1,000 bags of trash and debris will be removed at today's cleanup.
"Now that the snow has finally melted from most of Michigan's highways, Project C.L.E.A.N. will help us focus on some statewide spring cleaning," Granholm said. "As Michigan's visitors and citizens gear up to hit our roads for the summer travel season, this project will help make sure that our state's scenic beauty isn't ruined by fast food wrappers and old tires."
During the program, approximately 23,000 offenders will contribute more than 600,000 hours of cleaning Michigan's city streets, parks, county roads, and highways.
"This project is an excellent example of the Governor's commitment to the concept of restorative justice," said Corrections Director William Overton. "This summer, thousands of offenders from across the state will strive to repair the harm they have inflicted on crime victims and the community by cleaning Michigan's roadways and neighborhoods."
The project will run through September 2003 and will be a collaborative statewide effort between the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), local community corrections agencies, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). MDOT will assist in selecting areas to clean, assist in maintaining the safety of the worksites, arrange for restrooms for the offenders, provide trash bags, and collect the trash bags once they are filled.
Only minimum security (Level I) prisoners, probationers, and parolees with no history of arson or sex offenses will be allowed to participate in the project. Participants must not be serving on an escape or attempted escape sentence, or be serving for a violent or assaultive offense. The prisoners must have served half of their minimum sentence, be within 12 months of their earliest release date, and must not be sentenced as a habitual offender. Participants can not have any felony charges or immigration detainers pending and must not be serving a life sentence. No prisoner considered a "very high" or "potentially very high" assault risk according to Michigan Department of Corrections protocols will be allowed to participate in the program.
