Challenge
Nearly half of Detroit’s population will be eligible for criminal record expungement this year. Having a criminal record is a serious barrier to employment, job training, stable housing, and access to government benefits. Citizens facing these barriers are much more prone to a life of poverty. Only 6% of Detroiters eligible for record expungement actually apply. The process for applying for expungement is complicated, expensive, and difficult to navigate.
Expungement Service Design Process
Gather Insights
The process of expunging a criminal record is expensive, time consuming, and complicated. To make the right improvements, we needed to see the process through the eyes of our users. Through observation and interviewing, we learned that residents who were eligible for expungement either weren’t aware or had literacy barriers that prevented them from being able to navigate the process.
Prototype
Based on our insights, we knew that Detroiters needed a one-stop shop for expungement. Program staff had already created a semi-annual expungement fair, but large crowds overwhelmed the team, creating long wait times and many ineligible applicants. We prototyped a new expungement fair system to move a high volume of applicants through efficiently and effectively.
Test and Iterate
The new expungement fair system ran alongside career center expungement sites that were open every week. At these sites, Detroiters could meet with an attorney 1:1 to apply for their expungement. To test the cost effectiveness of the fairs and centers, we ran a cost benefit analysis to determine which format had the higher return on investment, allowing policymakers to make informed budgeting decisions.