ADVOCACY • BIPARTISAN JUSTICE REFORM
Closed Ladder

Closed Ladder

Policy, research, and political action to replace Michigan’s broken criminal legal data infrastructure with systems built for human dignity.

// The scale we work against

32,778 people were held in Michigan Department of Corrections custody at the close of 2024 — the second-lowest count in the state’s recorded history, down from a 2007 peak of 51,554.[1] Population is projected to keep declining.[2] Every campaign below is measured against that population.

We work with legislators from both parties, directly impacted people, and the best technologists in the country. No dark money. Full funding disclosure.
Records reflect a moment; people are the full story. We hold a corroboration floor of three independent sources before any claim, and we publish the sources for every number on this page.

// Active campaigns

Closed Ladder advocacy campaigns, current legislative stage, and last recorded action.
Campaign Stage Last action
Family Notification Mandate In committee Companion bills referred; testimony scheduled.
Ban on private parole companies Drafting Model language circulated to sponsors.
Universal reentry data standard Research Specification under review with partners.
Method & sources

Stage is the campaign's position in the legislative path (research → drafting → in committee → floor → enacted), not a probability of passage. The custody figure is cited below.

  1. Michigan Department of Corrections, “MDOC Report Shows Continued Decrease in State’s Prison, Parole, and Probation Populations,” May 2025. michigan.gov
  2. Michigan Department of Corrections, “Prison Population Projection Report,” 2025 (P.A. 121 of 2024), published in the MDOC legislative reports archive. michigan.gov legislative reports

Get in touch

advocacy@closedladder.org

Advocacy organization. Dues and tips are not tax-deductible. For tax-deductible giving, see the Closed Ladder Capital Foundation.