The possibility that the former Mayor of Detroit, Kilpatrick, might be granted entry into a 90 day boot camp release program from his 18 month prison sentence has some locals peeved-including the prosecutor-but the law is the law. The judge will make the decision.

Detroit Free Press Editorial Blog
Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner — not Prosecutor Kym Worthy — will decide whether to send Kwame Kilpatrick to boot camp and a faster parole. Whether or not you believe Kilpatrick belongs in prison — I don’t — the idea that he’s getting special treatment is crazy. For more than a decade, it’s been standard procedure for inmates with minimum sentences of no longer than three years to be considered for placement in the Special Alternative Incarceration Program, unless convicted of criminal sexual conduct or arson. Kilpatrick was convicted of a non-violent crime and sentenced to a minimum of 18 months. That makes him — on paper at least — a perfect candidate for the boot camp in Chelsea.

In Kilpatrick’s case, as in all others involving the program, the judge alone makes the call. Worthy has objected, but her job is over. We’re all in trouble if prosecutors start making decisions that should be made by sentencing judges or the State Parole Board.

Part of the confusion is due to the lousy job the media do in covering the state prison system. Last May, I attended a public hearing on the potential closing of the boot camp. I was the only journalist there. The media are now obsessed with the place because Kilpatrick might go there, but this program has been working for 20 years. It didn’t start, or change, with Kilpatrick’s prison sentence.

Inmates who complete the 90-day boot camp program are paroled for at least 18 months, with the first 30 days under intense supervision. The voluntary, military style program includes physical training, intense discipline, GED education and vocational training. Sessions on topics such as anger management and substance abuse are also included, based on individual needs assessments. Those who fail to complete the program are sent back to prison to finish their original sentence. It may not be what the doctor ordered for Kilpatrick but the department had to consider him for placement, if it wanted to treat his case in a routine manner.

There’s been way too much drama surrounding the Kilpatrick case. I live in Detroit. I’m not happy with how Kilpatrick abused his office and authority, but he doesn't need to be in prison, where he's costing taxpayers $35,000 a year instead of working to pay off his considerable debts to the city. As Patricia Caruso, the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, has said on other occasions: The criminal justice system must distinguish between those we’re afraid of and those we’re mad at. No one need fear Kilpatrick now -- unless he owes you money.