Using their experiences as examples, the panelists — Monica Jahner and Hakim Crampton — called for legislation to be crafted, allowing for automatic expungement for convicted felons after a certain number of years following the law. 

Crampton and others would like to see “individuals who have gotten out of prison, served their debt to society, they’ve gone five years or seven years crime free — that the courts would then automatically remove that felony conviction from public record,” he said.

Crampton has been out of prison for 13 years after his conviction on three felonies. He believes expungement is necessary because released criminals have a difficult time re-entering society due to their record.

Employers can deny released criminals a job and it can be hard to find housing because they have to check a box saying they were convicted of a felony — even if it happened years ago.

Jahner also knows this experience well, as a company denied her employment despite having both bachelor's and master's degrees and experience in her field.

During her 28 years in prison, she studied in law libraries and fought to keep youth prisoners separate from adults.

“Man, did I get the rude awakening when I came out here,” Jahner said. “I put my first job application in at a detention center for girls. I told them I had been convicted, and who better? I had all the credentials they needed; who better to deal with young kids than somebody that’s been in the system? But they turned me down.”

Jahner eventually found success as director of Advocacy, Re-entry, Resource, Outreach (A.R.R.O.), where she helps newly released people get reacquainted with their communities.

A.R.R.O. offers GED preparation, Bridge Card application assistance and clothing vouchers among other services. The organization provides services to those incarcerated for at least six months who were released from prison within the prior 60 days.

When employers deny former convicts jobs, they often feel their only option is to return to crime, Jahner and Crampton said. The panelists called on residents to accept those coming home from prison, provided they haven’t gone back to their criminal ways.

“I have, in a sense, proven and paid my debt to society,” Crampton said. “When does society accept that debt and say, ‘Hey, you’ve done good in spite of the mistakes you’ve made in the past that you’ve now redeemed yourself for; we’re going to give you a chance?’” Crampton said. 

Following their personal stories, Jahner and Crampton opened the event for discussion, compiling ideas from the community on what their draft should look like.

Clean Slate has been touring Michigan, having first stopped in Muskegon and Grand Rapids.

After Tuesday's Lansing session, the panel continues on to Saginaw, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Ideas collected during the tour will be used to draft a community-inspired bill. The group plans to submit the bill to the Legislature with the intention of having it introduced and voted on by the end of the year.