GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Hundreds of people stood in line at the Salvation Army Kroc Center Saturday for the shot at a second chance.
“This is a great day for Grand Rapids. It’s a great day for Michigan and it’s a great day for every person who’s been impacted,” Brandon Davis, the director of the Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, told FOX 17 Saturday.
The city’s Office of Oversight and Public Accountability hosted an expungement fair.
Michigan’s 2020 Clean Slate laws made this possible.
The legislation allows Michiganders to wipe their records of certain criminal offenses, such as having marijuana and first-time DUIs.
“The point of the expungement process is to help members of the community who have already served their time, who’ve already paid their debt to society, move forward in a positive direction,” Davis added.
Tyre Evans was at Saturday’s expungement fair. He tells us, back in 2009, he was in his 20s and ended up doing time for selling drugs.
“It was my first felony and pretty much I kept my nose clean since 2009,” Evans explained.
However, that felony charge continues to follow him more than a decade later. Evans says he has struggled to find places to live and work.
“It was pretty much heartbreaking, you know, it had me down most of the time,” he added. “All the time trying to figure out what’s going to happen.”
About 60 volunteers spent their Saturday walking through the legal process with attendees and giving them useful tips and resources.
“I’ve been going through this for so long, for so long, and, you know, somebody is actually here to help,” Evans said. “I’m thankful for help.”
Michigan’s Clean Slate law has already helped around 240,000 people, according to data from the state.
Click here for more information or to find out if you’re eligible for expungement.
