Safe & Just Michigan

See you at our Signature Event

Safe & Just Michigan is pulling together the final details for our 2023 Annual Event on Oct. 18, and we’re hoping that we will see you there. This year’s Signature Event will feature a presentation from Aswad Thomas, National Director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and Vice President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. Thomas, who grew up in Detroit, was 26 years old and just weeks away from launching a professional basketball career in Europe when his dreams were shattered by two bullets outside a convenience store. The nearly fatal injuries to his back ended his dream of a sports career but set him on a new path. Instead of scoring points and winning games, Thomas now helps other crime survivors find their voice and advances policies that support crime survivors while ending cycles of harm.

We will also be handing out awards to the people and organizations around Michigan who have shown their dedication to bringing positive change to the criminal justice system, enjoy networking opportunities and share friendship and dinner together. More details — including information on how to register — will soon be available. For now, we invite you to mark your calendars for Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 5-9 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lansing. We look forward to seeing you there!

Advocacy day to end JLWOP at the Capitol

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, we invite you to join us at the Michigan State Capitol for a day of advocacy to end juvenile life without parole. This legislation has been heard before both House and Senate committees but has yet to be voted out to either the House or Senate floors. The day will start at 9 a.m. with light refreshments, a welcoming presentation, and information on how to best advocate for policy change with elected officials. There will be meetings scheduled with state representatives and senators throughout the day, and lunch will be provided. This is a free event, but because of space limitations, registration is required. Please go to bit.ly/michildren to register.

New automatic expungement resource available

Safe & Just Michigan has created a self-assessment tool to help people determine whether Clean Slate’s automatic expungement may apply to them. If it appears they are eligible for automatic expungement, folks are then given the opportunity to request Safe & Just Michigan pull their ICHAT report to see if their convictions have already been removed. Automatic expungement has already cleared approximately 4.5 million convictions in the state — but the state isn’t notifying people when their records are being cleared. SJM is currently in talks with various state departments to create a state portal that would allow people to look up the status of their own automatic expungements online, but until that is created, the only way to know if convictions have been cleared is to run someone’s ICHAT report, which can normally cost $10. To take the self-assessment test, go here: bit.ly/MICleanSlateTool

Visit us at www.safeandjustmi.org. To join our efforts, email us at info@safeandjustmi.org or sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/sjmsignup.