Michigan House Passes ‘Clean Slate’ Bills
Automatic expungement would improve life prospects for ex-offenders, says Jesse Kelley, manager of criminal justice and civil liberties issues at the R Street Institute.
“Expanding and automating the expungement process will benefit many Michiganders currently living with a criminal history record,” Kelley said. “The automation component is critically important because presently many individuals who are eligible to apply for their record to be expunged simply do not have the resources to accomplish that goal under Michigan’s current expungement process.”
A study by University of Michigan Law School researchers found only 6.5 percent of those convicted in the state’s courts obtain expungement within five years of eligibility under the current law.
“Automatically expunging the records of these individuals would increase their chances of gaining and maintaining employment,” Kelley said. “When an individual has a better opportunity to join the workforce, he or she also has a better chance of becoming a law-abiding member of society. This, in turn, promotes greater public safety for entire communities.”
