CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH ORGANIZER KAMAU SANDIFORD
Upper Peninsula residents who have old items on their criminal records that are holding them back from getting good jobs, safe and affordable housing and educational opportunities have an upcoming opportunity to meet with legal helpers who can determine if they qualify for free or reduced-cost legal services to remove old convictions from their records. Once screened for eligibility, individuals who are eligible will be advised on how they can go about filing for expungement of their convictions through the court system.
The Marquette Two-Day Expungement Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13 at the Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! office, 1498 Odovero Drive in Marquette.
Safe & Just Michigan is publicizing the event now so that people who are interested have time to learn about the event and go through the pre-registration process in order to make the most of this free opportunity.
Under our state’s new Clean Slate laws, Michigan residents have a greater ability than ever before to remove old convictions that employers and landlords often use to rule out potential job seekers and tenants. However, understanding whether those new laws apply to one’s existing convictions and knowing how to pursue an expungement can be a confusing process.
That’s why Safe & Just Michigan, Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office are working together to help U.P. residents make the most out of Clean Slate. Safe & Just Michigan is a Lansing-based nonprofit that advances policies that end Michigan’s over-use of incarceration and promotes community safety and healing.
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of an expungement for people who have been held back by an old conviction,” said Safe & Just Michigan Clean Slate Program Manager Kamau Sandiford. “Even if it has been decades since the last conviction and a person has had no involvement with the justice system since then, landlords and employers can still use those old records to deny someone a job or a lease. Expungements let people who have shown they have turned their lives around to move forward.”
The benefits of an expungement can be enormous. According to a 2020 study from University of Michigan researchers, people who receive an expungement see their wages raise an average of 22 percent in the year following the expungement — mostly because previously unemployed people were able to find jobs, and minimally employed people were able to find steadier or higher-paying jobs.
While there is no charge to get help at the expungement fair, availability is limited, so anyone interested in getting help is requested to sign up through a pre-screening process. That form can be located at bit.ly/SJM24MarquetteExp. Pre-registration for this event will remain open through July 10, but individuals who are unable to register can still attend this event as a walk-in. While walk-ins will be accepted on a limited basis, individuals traveling from long distances should be aware that this event is primarily designed to assist individuals in determining their eligibility for expungement under Michigan law, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to receive assistance at the event. Additionally, attendees will be responsible for filing their expungement applications after the fair.
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