Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan
116 W. Ottawa Street – Suite 200
Lansing, Michigan 48913
(517) 334-5050 – Fax (517) 334-6351
www.michiganprosecutor.org
2015-2016
OFFICERS
President
Michael D. Wendling
St. Clair
President-Elect
Mark E. Reene
Tuscola
Vice President
Melissa A. Powell
Iron
Secretary-Treasurer
DJ Hilson
Muskegon
Immediate Past President
Victor A. Fitz
Cass
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elected Directors
Karen Bahrman
Alger
K. Edward Black
Alpena
Robert A. Cooney
Grand Traverse
Jeffrey S. Getting
Kalamazoo
Joseph T. Hubbell
Leelanau
Andrea S. Krause
Montcalm
Douglas R. Lloyd
Eaton
William P. Nichols
Monroe
Timothy J. Rutkowski
Huron
Eric J. Smith
Macomb
Paul R. Spaniola
Mason
William J. Vailliencourt
Livingston
Thomas J. Weichel
Alcona
Matthew J. Wiese
Marquette
Active Past Presidents
Stuart J. Dunnings III
Ingham
William A. Forsyth
Kent
Ronald J. Frantz
Ottawa
David S. Leyton
Genesee
Brian L. Mackie
Washtenaw
Ronald J. Schafer
Ionia
Charles D. Sherman
Clinton
Kym L. Worthy
Wayne
Attorney General
William D. Schuette
NDAA Representative
David S. Leyton
DECEMBER 1, 2015
Youth in Prison Statement
Michael Wendling
President, Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan
A core value of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan is that a
defendant’s first encounter with the criminal justice system should be his or her last. It is
our hope that when a judge imposes a sentence on an offender, which contains the
appropriate balance of deterrence and rehabilitation, that the sentence will indeed be his or
her first and only sentence. Nowhere is this more important than when applied to young
people who commit crimes. Our current system provides judges with a range of options
when sentencing young offenders that make an impact but also avoids criminal
records. These include the use of the recently expanded Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, drug
and sobriety court diversions and a variety of other opportunities for defendants to change
their behaviors.
Michigan has begun the debate whether 17 year old offenders should be addressed
in the juvenile justice system. This represents a dramatic change in our criminal justice
system, and while worthy of debate, should be approached slowly and thoughtfully. For
such a change to take place, significant infrastructure and suitable programming needs must
be put in place. Accompanying those changes is the need for funding to appropriately
address these needs, without risking harming the young people this legislation is intended to
support.
Finally, any reform to the juvenile system must recognize and continue to allow for
adult waiver and sentencing for juveniles changed and convicted for such serious crimes as
murder, rape and robbery.