DETROIT -- Oakland Country Prosecutor Jessica Cooper is suing the state of Michigan for withholding information about the early release of thousands of inmates.

The Michigan Department of Corrections plans to release between 3,000 and 5,000 prisoners by October 2009 as a cost saving measure, but has refused several times to hand over the list of inmates that will be reviewed by the parole board.

Watch: Prosecutor Battles State Over Parolee Release

Many of the prisoners are violent offenders including armed robbers, carjackers and rapists. They have all served the minimum sentence the judge gave but not the maximum sentence prosecutors requested.

The inmates will return to record-high unemployment and a massively reduced police force.

The MDOC has refused an informal request for the list made by Cooper and the Macomb and Wayne County Prosecutors and two Freedom of Information Act requests.

"It is this blatant refusal to provide this critical information that has forced this office to file a lawsuit against the MDOC," said Cooper.

The lawsuit was filed in Oakland County Circuit Court.

"It was hoped that by obtaining this list in advance, area prosecutors might be able to share information with the MDOC that might help avoid the release of dangerous individuals back into the community," said Cooper.

Cooper stated that the cost of releasing violent potential re-offenders back into the community will be a greater cost than keeping them in prison.

MDOC officials said they don't want or need prosecutors help in deciding who to release and who to keep locked up.

"Our parole board has the authority to conduct reviews and make reasoned and well intentioned decisions about parolees under our care," said Department of Corrections spokesman John Cordell.

Download: Parolee FOIA Request
Download: Oakland County Prosecutor's News Release

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