LANSING – The State of Michigan could save $262 million in prison costs by 2015 by bringing parole policies in line with other states – and releasing thousands of prisoners earlier – according to a yearlong analysis of crime and punishment conducted by national policy center.

The analysis by the Justice Center at the Council of State Governments, presented at the state Capitol today, found that Michigan suffers from high rates of violent crime, has fewer police officers and lower conviction rates than other states, but tends to imprison convicted felons longer.

The key recommendation, to require most prisoners to be released after serving 120% of their minimum sentence, was endorsed by Republican and Democratic lawmakers and representatives of Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who have been working with the center on the analysis.

Also included in the group’s potential remedies are beefed-up law enforcement and crime lab capabilities, and increased training and job placement for offenders and disconnected young people. Those initiatives would presumably be paid for with savings in the prison system, especially the accelerated parole of convicted criminals.

Directing the Parole Board to release most inmates before they serve more than 120% of their minimum sentences could reduce the overall prison population by more than 4,300 by 2015, the report states.

Corrections Director Patricia Caruso said the proposed parole directive is “not an early release”; all prisoners would serve at least their court-ordered minimum sentence.

But Michigan “has allowed the parole board to have too much discretion,” said state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith, D-South Lyon.

State Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-Dewitt, said he believes the proposed changes in parole could be enacted within the next few months.

Among the findings in the Justice Center analysis:

• Michigan locks up a higher percentage of its population than almost any state in the country.

• The state suffers from above-average violent crime rates.

• Michigan has fewer police officers on the streets, and takes longer than other states to process evidence.

• Prison spending has been cited as the source of much of the state’s budget woes, and is expected to be a key issue in 2009-10 budget talks slated to get under way in a few weeks.