(WXYZ) — Oakland County has launched their version of the Clean Slate program that is designed to expunge certain criminal offenses from resident's criminal records.
The program is designed to open doors for residents to better jobs, housing, and educational opportunities.
Residents interested in taking part in the program should start the process by completing an online Request for Services at www.oakgov.com/cleanslate.
This program clearly has the potential to help some of our residents pursue full time employment without the worry of being turned away because of past mistakes,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter in a news release. “Clean Slate is a win-win for both our returning residents and employers, who were already facing a shortage of people to hire before the COVID-19 hit the county last year. That scarcity of workers has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.”
The program is being funded through an allocation of $314,500 from the state of Michigan to Michigan Works!, which is working with Oakland County.
Statewide $4 million has been provided to 16 Michigan Works! agencies to cover staff time, documentation, and court fees associated with the expungement process. The program is currently scheduled to run through June of 2022.
Program eligibility details:
- Up to three felony convictions may be expunged after seven years (only two may be for assaultive crimes and no more than one felony conviction for the same offense if the offense is punishable by more than 10 years imprisonment).
- An unlimited number of misdemeanor convictions may be expunged after three years.
- Serious misdemeanors and one felony conviction may be expunged after five years.
- Various traffic offenses may be expunged.
- A person can petition to set aside misdemeanor marijuana offenses if they would not have been a crime after recreational use was legalized.
- Multiple felonies or misdemeanors arising from the same 24-hour period are treated as one conviction for the purposes of expungement (none of the offenses can be assaultive, involve the use or possession of a dangerous weapon, or carry a maximum penalty of 10 or more years in prison).
Convictions that cannot be expunged from a criminal record include:
- Felonies that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison
- Attempt to commit a felony for which the maximum punishment is life
- Felony domestic violence (if the person had a previous domestic violence misdemeanor)
- Child abuse
- Most criminal sexual conduct offenses
- DUI and traffic offenses causing injury or death
