Michigan’s Clean Slate Legislation Will Give Resident’s A Second Chance

A law put in place will help give people a second chance at getting a better job and removing that negative stigma of having a felony on your record.

This expungement program has been pushed before locally by Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and now it's gaining even more momentum.

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“47,000 residents in the city of Flint have felonies,” he said. “That’s almost half the population so when you see numbers like this, this becomes a fact that felonies and these records have impacted our whole community.”

 

“It’s some good people out here who want to be productive members of society, and so everybody deserves a second chance,”

 

The new law will also allow for automatic expungement without petitioning. However, that doesn't go into effect until December 2022. Source:NBC25.com

I don't think this is just a good idea, I think it's vital for Flint and the surrounding areas. I was born and raised in Flint it's easy as a youth to make bad decisions in this city, and I have. I'm just blessed that I was never dragged deeper into the streets because I was more focused on my career. But, had I received a felony on my record I'm not sure I would be where I am right now. I've seen personally how destructive a felony on your record can be. You can't find a decent job. Say goodbye to a legit career. It's literally a death sentence for the workplace.

This program is a necessity. I don't believe we should let the bad decisions in our past control the rest of our future. If someone is willing to change and put their life back on the right track, they should be given the chance too.