The Detroit Pistons are marking the five-year anniversary of Michigan’s Clean Slate law with an effort that puts services directly in front of residents who need them.
In partnership with the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, the team will host a Social Impact Summit on Saturday, April 11, at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center. The event is open to the public and designed to connect justice-impacted Detroiters with resources that can help clear longstanding hurdles tied to past convictions.
The summit will run in two sessions, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1-3 p.m., with organizers urging participants to register in advance as space is expected to fill quickly.
At its core, the gathering is about access. Attendees will be able to receive on-site assistance with record sealing, driver’s license restoration, and connections to mental health services. The Pistons are working alongside partners including the Clean Slate Initiative and Henry Ford Health to bring those services into one space, removing the need for residents to navigate multiple systems on their own.
“Detroit is a city built on resilience, and we believe everyone deserves a fair opportunity to move forward,” said Chris Economeas, senior director of community and social responsibility for the Pistons. “Through the Social Impact Summit, we’re proud to work with the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition and our community partners to help remove barriers facing justice impacted Detroiters, connect individuals to critical resources and reinforce our commitment to equity, second chances and meaningful change in our city.”
The promise of Clean Slate has been complicated by gaps in awareness and access for a lot of residents in the Detroit area. While the law expanded opportunities for expungement and automated the clearing of certain records, navigating eligibility and completing the process has proven difficult for people who don’t have the proper guidance to navigate the complexities of the project. Organizers say the summit is intended to close that gap by offering both direct services and information about how the law works.
Participants will also have access to sessions focused on existing laws and pending legislation related to criminal records, along with information on fair housing and civic engagement. The goal is to provide immediate assistance as well as a clearer understanding of the systems shaping long-term stability.
“The Social Impact Summit reflects what’s possible when community partners come together with intention,” said James Cadogan, executive director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. “Together with the Detroit Pistons and local leaders, we’re helping justice-impacted individuals remove longstanding barriers and access critical resources to take meaningful steps toward stability, opportunity and a fresh start.”
Holding the event inside the Pistons’ training facility, organizers say, is another example of how the institution is setting the standard for community engagement – using spaces typically reserved for professional sports to address broader social needs. And the impact on attendees will be immediate, whether that means beginning the process of clearing a record, restoring driving privileges, or connecting with support services that can affect employment and housing.
Five years after Clean Slate took effect, the work of making those opportunities widely accessible continues. To register, visit: pistons.formstack.com/forms/socialimpactsummitregistration.
Pre-registration will remain open until the summit has reached capacity. Walk-in availability will be extremely limited, and it is highly recommended to pre-register prior to the event.