A spike in prison sentences after the murder rampage of Patrick Selepak, who was erroneously released from prison, follows a pattern in Michigan's criminal justice policy. Michigan parole policy was dramatically tightened after a spate of horrendous sex crimes by paroled sex offenders in the 1990s.

But Michigan's sentencing and parole policy should not be driven by anecdotes. Michigan is 11th in the nation in the percentage of the population it jails.

Prison spending now consumes more than twice as much of the state General Fund budget as it did two decades ago. The state can't afford to continue to squander expensive prison resources without a systematic look at the best way to use prisons.

The Detroit News Tuesday reported a surge in prison sentences in 2006 following the Selepak killing spree that caused a bulge in the prison population, with a significant increase in prison terms of a year or less. The News estimates the increased burden on prison resources cost about $30 million.

Russ Marlan, a former parole officer and spokesman for the state Corrections Department, told The News the increase in prisoners has "almost a direct link to Patrick Selepak." The Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency made the same connection in an analysis it released this summer.

Selepak has since been captured and is serving multiple life sentences. And that's appropriate for a repeat offender and three-time killer.

But not everyone in prison needs to remain for life. And not every low-level offender needs a prison sentence.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is rightly pursuing a two-track policy. Her administration is pushing for the release of less-risky inmates while seeking an expansion of a support system for ex-inmates to help them reintegrate into society.

Her administration is also drafting a major reform in sentencing policy designed to cut down on the number of people eligible for both prison and jail. It is controversial because drafts of the proposal would reduce the penalties for some drug offenses, among other changes. It was going to be introduced earlier this summer, but staffers are still honing and streamlining the legislative package.

In the meantime, the atmosphere for a serious reconsideration of sentencing and parole policy has been made more difficult by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's pithy admonition that residents should buy Uzis or pit bulls if expanded prison release plans go forward.

Certainly, any change ought to be carefully examined in reasoned hearings in the Legislature, and Patterson and other county politicians are right to make sure that the prison problem isn't simply pushed down to the county jails.

But lawmakers need to set aside rhetoric and take a thoughtful look at how Michigan uses the nearly $2 billion we spend on corrections to make sure we get the best value for those dollars.