The Prosecutor Scorecard rates the policies of each candidate for Prosecutor in Washtenaw County according to our demands.
ELECTION RESULTS
On November 3, 2020, Eli Savit was elected Prosecutor of Washtenaw County. Read our statement about the election results.
OVERALL CANDIDATE ANALYSIS
Mack = D-, Savit = A, Slay = C+
Mack: Mack’s approach to his candidacy as prosecutor is to advocate for restorative justice, but his approach is not grounded in the actual principles or application of the model. He also repeatedly expresses a foundational belief in the need for and function of a punitive justice system.
Savit: Savit’s approach to his candidacy as prosecutor is to exercise the power of the prosecutor’s office, to the extent he deems possible, to challenge and reverse some harms of the criminal punishment system by shifting resources and power to communities and challenging certain aspects of current punitive approaches.
Slay: Slay’s approach to her candidacy as prosecutor is to work within the current system to make improvements that focus on diversion and restorative justice, while keeping all such programming within the criminal punishment system itself, and resisting committing to actions that use the sway of the prosecutor’s office to challenge its current operation and function.
See our in-depth analysis for details about all of the candidates’ scores!
Scoring Methodology
Candidate scores are based on an in-depth analysis of survey answers and comments, published platforms and website materials, and verbal statements at public forums. On some issues, survey responses contradicted information provided in survey comments, online platforms, and public commentary. Sometimes this was due to deep complexity in the issues being discussed. In other instances, the contradiction seemed to result from a lack of clarity in candidates’ positions and actionable commitments. As a result, the scores reflect a combination of candidates’ stated intentions as well as their plans to take action on these issues.
To view candidates’ survey responses, click here. To view candidates’ supplemental comments on the survey, and the clarifications provided to us in follow-up email correspondence, click here. To view our grading scale, click here. To view a pdf of the questionnaire, click here.
Any questions about these scores and/or scoring methodology can be directed to liberatewashco@gmail.com. Liberate! Don’t Incarcerate is a group of multi-racial, multi-generational, and queer Washtenaw County residents who are committed to creating a county that is grounded in love and communal healing and that embodies collective accountability for all humanity. Our volunteer team comprises counselors, social workers, public health workers, researchers, community builders, advocates for folks impacted by incarceration, and racial justice organizers & activists who care deeply about transformative justice. We are a issue-based community group and will not be endorsing any candidates as a collective.