• $25,000 grant from the Donald R. and Esther Simon Foundation
• Money goes towards hearing attorney costs for Project Clean Slate participants.
• Project Clean Slate (PCS) has been able to expunge more than 18,000 records; this funding will help them continue.
   

The City of Detroit and Project Clean Slate (PCS) have been awarded a 2025 Simon Foundation grant. This grant will allow Project Clean Slate to continue providing crucial services to their participants, without decreasing their hearing coverage for the next 3 months.

In this round of funding, the Donald R and Esther Simon Foundation awarded $25,000 to the City of Detroit/Project Clean Slate, which will enable the program to continue providing free legal services to Detroiters who deserve second chances.

“The Donald R. and Esther Simon Foundation has been a constant supporter and funder of Project Clean Slate since 2021, providing $215,000 to PCS over the past four years.” Stephani LaBelle, Executive Director of Project Clean Slate said. “The funding is critical to the program, as it has provided over 3,000 hours of attorney time to attend client appointments, review case pleadings, prepare clients for hearings, and attend thousands of expungement hearings.”

Project Clean Slate provides Detroit residents with free consultation and legal services that facilitate expungement of criminal convictions on residents’ permanent records. PCS was

formed in 2016 and obtained nine expungements the following year. That number quickly ramped up each year as more Detroiters realized the impact the services PCS provided was making on lives.

“Without Project Clean Slate there is no telling where I would be right now.” Stephen Erter, a Detroit resident who went through the program said. “Being unemployed, being depressed, being a burden... Project Clean Slate helped wipe those things away. I’m now able to work for a reputable airline. I can’t say thank you enough...”

Today, Project Clean Slate has expunged 18,335 records, 5,030 of them coming from this calendar year alone.

Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is a major partner to the program. DESC is the City of Detroit’s workforce agency and a member of the Michigan Works Agency network. They specialize in helping Detroiters, including “returning citizens” who have been through Project Clean Slate find work.

"Detroit at Work has always helped Detroiters who are returning citizens enter the workforce by providing a pathway to jobs and training," Dana Williams, President of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation said. "This grant by the Simon Foundation to Project Clean Slate will help us continue the work necessary to help Detroiters continue onto the path of success."

The funds from the 2025 Simon Foundation grant have been released to DESC and are being used towards attorney fees for this year.