fbpx

Substance abuse

A Day in the Life of a Community Engagement Specialist

One of the most rewarding things about working for criminal justice reform is getting people interested in transforming our court and prison systems and watching the momentum for change build, both in Michigan and nationwide. So, when I got a call from Sean Wilkinson, a reporter and videographer from San Francisco who is representing the [...]

Second Try at First-Offense Drunk Driving Expungement

2020 was a phenomenal year for criminal justice reform in Michigan, with everything from Clean Slate to the jails task force bills making their way into law. Amid all those victories, however, was one bitter disappointment: drunk driving expungement. In a promising development, however, it appears there may yet be hope for people hoping for [...]

2021-03-15T15:46:23-04:00February 23rd, 2021|Categories: Blog, Mental health, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

A Discussion on Best Practices for Second Chance Hiring

Employers shouldn’t shun job applicants who have been incarcerated or who have criminal convictions on their records, leading human resource experts said during a webinar co-hosted Wednesday by SHRM — the Society for Human Resource Management — and Safe & Just Michigan, a Lansing, Mich.-based organization that advances criminal justice reforms. The event, titled “Best [...]

2020-11-09T21:55:03-05:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Racial equity, Recidivism, Reentry, Substance abuse|

First bills from Jails Task Force report reach state legislature

The recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration are getting ready to officially start their move through the Michigan Legislature next week. When people ask me about the best ways to address over-incarceration I usually with the question: “Do you mean in jails or in prisons?” Jails house people who are [...]

2020-07-17T15:50:59-04:00July 17th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

Join us for a VIRTUAL Day of Empathy

It has been a difficult few weeks full of changes and challenges for all of us, We want to send our best wishes to you, your friends, and to your family during these trying times. One helpful things to do during a crisis is to keep connected and maintain a sense purpose. That’s why we’re [...]

Day of Empathy 2020: What Can It Mean for You?

I walked into my first Day of Empathy event nearly four years ago feeling terrified, socially averse and embarrassed. I was ashamed and had been shamed. I had only recently completed my three years of incarceration and a bit more than two years of parole and probation. The memory of being paraded, in a bright [...]

Get to know the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration recommendations

In January 2020, the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration issued a list of 18 legislative action items that — if enacted — could revolutionize Michigan’s county jails and the lives of the people who come into contact with them. The task force drafted their recommendations after holding six meetings across Michigan. [...]

2020-01-31T03:46:08-05:00January 28th, 2020|Categories: Blog, Courts, Diversion, Jails, Mental health, Recidivism, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

Justice Votes 2020: Presidential Panel

In late October, presidential candidates and formerly incarcerated people came together in the historic Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia to discuss criminal justice reform. "Justice Votes 2020: A Presidential Town Hall" was a joint effort of several organizations, such as Voters Organized to Educate (VOTE) and The Marshall Project, and was live streamed via NowThis. [...]

2019-10-30T23:33:25-04:00October 30th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Courts, Racial equity, Reentry, Sentencing, Substance abuse|

How will Clean Slate work?

The Clean Slate for Michigan package is a set of six bills that will transform how expungements are handled in our state. Once passed, they will open up expungement opportunities to more people, allow people to get expungements more quickly than before and automate the process in many cases. But since each bill handles a [...]

2020-06-17T17:36:41-04:00October 4th, 2019|Categories: Blog, Courts, Recidivism, Reentry, Substance abuse|