MONROE — 150,000 Michigan residents have had their driver licenses revoked or denied. Debra Stevens is one of them.

Stevens, 63, of Monroe hasn’t had a license since 2000. For 24 years, she’s relied on her two daughters and others for rides. After seeing a post on Facebook, Stevens went to Road to Restoration (R2R), a free driver’s license restoration clinic that was offered Tuesday at Monroe County Community College.

“I’m being optimistic I can get my license back. I’d be so excited (to get it back),” Stevens said.

At the clinic, Stevens learned she’s been eligible for years to have her license restored. She left MCCC with a list of what she needs to do to get her driving privileges back.

Stevens was one of 96 who attended the R2R clinic at MCCC. Two had their licenses fully restored. The others, like Stevens, received a custom-made list of steps. It was the first R2R clinic in Monroe County and the 37th offered by the state of Michigan and its community partners. Since the clinics began in November 2021, more than 8,000 licenses have been restored.

Elizabeth Durham, senior communication strategist for DTE Energy, said Michigan is the only state offering the clinics.

“There’s nothing like this in the country. We sent our template to Hawaii and Georgia,” Durham said.

Michigan’s clinics began a month after the October 2021 passage of the Clean Slate Laws, which canceled some infractions and lifted some suspensions. The clinics bring together staff from the Michigan Department of State, Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Michigan Secretary of State and lawyers from firms like Detroit Justice Center and Miller Canfield. More than 120 Michigan attorneys have been trained to help, and they offer their advice for free.

R2R clinics also typically include social service agencies like United Way and Michigan Works, which help attendees with issues like food insecurity and employment that often accompany the loss of driving privileges. Some R2R clinics also have staff from local courts and Friend of the Court.

R2R attendees have lost their licenses for various reasons, including not paying traffic tickets, moving violations, not paying child support and driving while impaired. Road to Restoration is not a drunken-driving expungement clinic.

Most who attend simply don’t know their next steps.

“They leave with a road map that shows clearly what needs to be done to restore their licenses. They get individual help,” Durham said. “It’s one-stop shopping to getting back on the road.”

Within the first two hours of Monroe’s R2R clinic, two licenses had been restored to drivers who just needed to pay fines. Others got a to-do list, with steps like scheduling a hearing, going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and getting recommendation letters.

Department of State staff member JoLynne Phillips was one of the first stops for attendees.

Early on Tuesday, she’d already helped a woman pay her overdue fines and get her license back.

“I cried,” Phillips said. “I love this. I love helping the public.”

Some of her other clients required a court hearing to have their licenses restored, and Phillips gave them the necessary documents.

“Most don’t know they need a hearing,” she said.

Rubina Mustafa, a senior attorney from the Detroit Justice Center, also was at Monroe’s R2R clinic. She said many who need a hearing to restore their licenses don’t understand the process and need help from attorneys.

“They don’t know what court, what to repay. We go step-by-step in a relaxed environment and explain. We give a clear path,” she said.

Mustafa often creates a script that attendees can use in court, and she advises clients on what to ask. Clients, for example, can ask a judge to reduce fines and costs if there are hardships. She often advises drivers to do volunteer work or go to AA meetings and bring proof of attendance to court.

Mustafa says the advice given at R2R clinics can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Durham said DTE got involved with R2R from the start because it saw the need first-hand. The utility company was trying to hire tree trimmers, but some couldn’t work because they didn’t have a driver’s license.

“It’s a barrier to employment. It’s a universal problem. They are now thriving. It solved a problem,” Durham said.

Khyla Craine, deputy legal director for the Michigan Department of State, was also in Monroe Tuesday. She helped start the R2R program in 2021. The program was a vision of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Durham said.

The clinics have been refined through the years. Durham said attendees are surveyed at the end of the process. Court staff and Friend of the Court were added based on survey results. Attendees also have requested AA have a presence at the clinics.

Recently created was a Road to Restoration Fund, which received a $10,000 grant from DTE Energy. The new fund helps people in need pay the fines and costs needed to have their licenses restored. Durham said some clients come to the clinics with money for fines but didn’t anticipate late fees. For some, that extra cost prevents them from going home with their licenses.

All staff said they work hard to make the R2R clinics safe spaces, free of judgment and fear.

“It’s a legit safe space,” Durham said. She said one person called MCCC on Monday to make sure R2R was legitimate.

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“We make it a safe space,” Craine said.

Craine is based in Lansing, but has traveled to all 37 R2R clinics. She’s seen many grateful people in three years.

“In two to three hours, their license issue is revolved. Some have had no license in decades. They say, ‘Now I can be independent, help my kids, get a job or a better job,’” she said. “People who have their licenses don’t know what a privilege it is until they don’t have it. Michigan is a driving state. You need a license.”

Upcoming Road to Restoration clinics are scheduled in Flint and Detroit. For a full list and more information about the program, visit Michigan.gov/R2R.

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: 96 attend driver’s license restoration clinic in Monroe