FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026Contact: Kate McCrackenPhone: 517.225.3186Email: kate@safeandjustmi.org ANN ARBOR — People who have been held back from getting good-paying jobs and safe, affordable housing because of old items on their criminal record have an opportunity to see if they can remove those old convictions under Michigan’s new Clean Slate laws at…

Michigan’s one set of habitual offender enhancement statutes, MCL 769.10 through 769.12, imposes progressively severe penalties on individuals with prior felony convictions by increasing sentence maximums. Consequently, depending on the number of charges and convictions an individual has from their first contact with the criminal legal system, a habitualized individual can, if they reoffend, receive…

Plan lets applicants demonstrate rehabilitation before rental decision FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, Oct. 12, 2026Contact: Kate McCrackenPhone: 517.225.3186Email: kate@safeandjustmi.org LANSING — Safe and affordable housing will become easier to find for Lansing residents with a criminal record if the city council passes a proposed Fair Housing ordinance, according to supporters. The proposal would direct landlords and renting agents…

The post VIDEO: Removing Barriers to Healthcare Jobs in Michigan appeared first on Safe & Just Michigan.

Health care providers are facing crippling staffing shortages that affect access to care. If unaddressed, this problem will only get worse, according to a report by the Michigan Health Council studying the job market for 36 common health care occupations. In some regions of the state, such as Northern Michigan, these shortages may be even…

Michigan Sentencing Commission Public CommentSeptember 17, 2026 Good afternoon. My name is Tony Gant. I am the Director of Policy for Safe & Just Michigan. I am also a formerly incarcerated person who spent twenty years incarcerated in the Michigan Department of Corrections before returning home in 2015. First, I want to thank the Legislature…

Within five years, it was apparent that Public Act 13 of 2019 was not functioning as intended. Between 2019 and 2024, only one person was paroled under the Act. Beginning in 2024, the Michigan legislature revisited its medically frail parole law and eventually passed Public Act 111 of 2024. The revised law, championed by state…

Safe & Just Michigan sends this quarterly newsletter to over 600 incarcerated readers at the Michigan Department of Corrections. The newsletter reports on policy updates, outreach and educational activities. Download>> Summer 2026 Hard Copy Newsletter Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive the SJM e-newsletter on the latest legislative actions. Note: Due to a Michigan Department of…

Health care providers are facing crippling staffing shortages that affect access to care. If unaddressed, this problem will only get worse, according to a report by the Michigan Health Council studying the job market for 36 common health care occupations. In some regions of the state, such as Northern Michigan, these shortages may be even…

Simple fixes could further advance expungement access opportunities LANSING — With Michigan’s Clean Slate laws reaching their 5-year anniversary on April 11, a new report from nonprofit criminal justice reform organization Safe & Just Michigan illuminates the overwhelming successes the package of expungement access legislation has brought, while pointing to two simple legislative fixes that…