City of Detroit Project Clean Slate Free Expungement Fairs 2018

Category: Public Policy

A Second Chance
for Offenders in Detroit

The City of Detroit Project Clean Slate initiative began in June 2015 when the Detroit Employment Solutions Corp in collaboration with the State of Michigan successfully completed a federal grant application and was awarded $5 million by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Expungement fairs in Michigan was designed to establish job training and placement programs for discouraged workers with chronic unemployment issues including the youth, veterans, and disabled with a focus on reentry programs for returning citizens transitioning out of correctional facilities.  The program has expanded to ex-offenders in the general public.

Reentry Project Grant Funding
The U.S. Labor Department’s Reentry Project Grant Program is the primary funding source of Project Clean Slate in Detroit and $4.5 million was reawarded on June 27,2017.  Nearly $73 million was awarded in grant funds to 32 service agencies throughout the country to strengthen access to opportunities for individuals in communities with high poverty and crime rates.  The goal is for organizations to develop new models of service with evidence-based practices to improve job opportunities and outcomes for these at-risk individuals and communities.

Benefits of Good Public Policy
The Reentry Grant Program is noted as “good public policy” by Eric Seleznow, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Labor Department as it serves the dual purpose of reducing recidivism for ex-offenders and promoting harm-reduction for the public.  There is clear evidence of the criminal reoffending when s/he does not successfully overcome barriers to reenter society.  Public safety is the reward of such programs as Project Clean Slate in Detroit and other high crime areas when ex-offenders are allowed access to legitimate employment opportunities.

Criminal convictions affect many low-income residents in Detroit’s Wayne County.  A defendant must have been sentenced in order to be considered “convicted” of a criminal offense.  The national disparity of African-Americans with criminal backgrounds was 25% in 2016.  In Detroit, there is an estimated 100,000 people unable to obtain a job or housing due to felony convictions.  People who are granted expungements can state on employment and housing applications that they have no criminal convictions.  This will be a mutually beneficial between employers, potential job-seekers, and the public.

State of Michigan Eligibility Criteria for City of Detroit Project Clean Slate
You are not eligible for Set Aside (Expungement) in the State of Michigan if:

• It has been less than five (5) years since your release from prison, discharge from probation or parole
• If you committed or attempted to commit a felony for which the possible maximum punishment is a life sentence including, but not limited to, murder, armed robbery, etc.
• If you have been convicted of any offense classified as “Criminal Sexual Conduct” (CSC) in the First (1st) through Third (3rd) degrees or assault with intent for such conduct (including attempt).
• If you have been convicted of CSC in the Fourth (4th) degree and have more than two minor offenses.
• If you have been convicted of child abuse in the Second (2nd) degree.
• If you have been convicted of child pornography.
• If you have been convicted of an internet or computer offense.
• Any traffic violation is unable to be Set Aside, including drunk driving offenses.
• If you have a felony conviction of domestic violence in addition to a misdemeanor domestic violence offense.
• If you are convicted of a human trafficking crime and cannot prove that you were a victim of human trafficking.
• If you are convicted of an act of terrorism.
• If you have more than one felony, or more than two misdemeanor offenses.

Please review the statutory law for setting aside convictions in the download below and visit the Returning Citizens section for additional information.  You may also find other services with public and private firms for legal representation in the Community Resources section.

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Related Posts:
Returning Citizens
http://www.canmichigan.com/returning-citizens.html
Ban-the-Box Laws: Employment Rights For Felons
http://www.canmichigan.com/blog/ban-the-box-laws-employment-rights-for-felons
Community Reources
 http://www.canmichigan.com/community-resources-michigan.html

Links:
Detroit Wins Grant to Help Ex-Prisoners Find Jobs
https://www.freep.com/story/news/2015/06/30/detroit-prisoner-reentry-federal-grant/29519905/
City of Detroit Project Clean Slate (Official Website)
http://www.detroitmi.gov/projectcleanslate
U.S. Department of Labor Announces Over $72M in Grants to Improve Employment Opportunities For Justice Involved Individuals
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20170627
​Detroit, MI Crime Rates
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mi/detroit/crime
City of Detroit 2016 Crime Statistics
http://www.detroitmi.gov/2016-Crime-Statistics
Detroit’s 100,000-Plus Convicted Felons Need Jobs Too
https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/07/detroits_100000-plus_convicted.html
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(u2prly201xnqt0fdouvlbdy0))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-act-442-of-1976

felony_expungements`.pdf
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