Michigan’s Youth Deserve Second Chances and a Fair Start

By Jennifer Peacock, Policy Director 

Each April, organizations, individuals and even states across the country work to raise

awareness about the barriers faced by those with a criminal record by recognizing Second Chance Month. In the U.S., 1 in 3 adults has a criminal record, limiting their opportunities for education, employment, and housing. With fewer opportunities for rebuilding their lives, it is easy for people to get trapped in a cycle of recidivism. Second Chance Month aims to change that. But adult former offenders are not the only people impacted by the stigma of a criminal record.

MCYJ Policy Director Jen Peacock

This month, as you support the many organizations working to reduce barriers and stigma associated with legal involvement, MCYJ wants to take a moment to reflect on the relationship between the juvenile and adult criminal legal systems.

A youth involved in the justice system has a likelier chance of later being involved with the adult legal system. A large-scale study found that youth arrested between the ages of 10 and 17 were nearly seven times more likely to have an adult criminal record by age 25. In Michigan specifically, a 2022 report found that confinement in a juvenile detention center resulted in a 39% increase in adult arrests for violent offenses and a 40% increase in adult arrests for all felony offenses. This data highlights the flaws of the current legal system. 

Despite the stated goal of the juvenile justice system being rehabilitation, there are collateral consequences of legal involvement, particularly for youth identified as low public safety risks. Many Michigan youths are put in detention for status and non-violent offenses, despite the impact that can have on their social development, high school graduation rate, and futures. 

Michigan has already begun to reduce barriers and stigma associated with juvenile legal involvement. In 2021, Michigan passed the Clean Slate for Kids Act, ensuring that youth have the ability to expunge their records. Expungement allows a youth’s adjudication record to be removed from public access, while still remaining available to entities such as law enforcement and the courts. As a result, young people have improved access to employment, housing, and educational opportunities, including college and vocational training.

It was a small start that did not fully address the broader impact of system involvement itself. Even when a record is no longer visible, the experience of confinement or court involvement can disrupt a young person’s education, strain family connections, and increase the likelihood of future system contact.

In 2023, the Justice for Kids and Communities Act overhauled Michigan’s juvenile justice system. Public Act 297 expanded the use of the Child Care Fund, the state’s primary funding mechanism for juvenile justice. Through this reform, local jurisdictions can provide individualized, community-based interventions for youth who are at risk of system involvement. This means an increased ability to support youth and families before they come into contact with the justice system. Additionally, the reform allows for pre-arrest diversion programs, helping to deflect youth who do not pose a public safety risk.

At MCYJ, we believe not only in ensuring that all youth have access to effective rehabilitation services should they come in contact with the legal system, but also that we have a responsibility to prevent system involvement in the first place. By reaching youth and families earlier, we can reduce the risk of adult system involvement and better position them for long-term success. 

Kids should not have to deal with the stigma of court involvement, but for those that do encounter it, their mistakes should not define them.

To learn more about Second Chance Month, visit Prison Fellowship here.