Chief Municipal Judge Frank Caprio delivered the good news Tuesday to two Providence women that their driver’s licenses will be restored, and all fees and fines will be waived.
One of those women, Noelle Pierce, is a mother of two who was caught driving without a license when George W. Bush was president.
Sixteen years later, she says this will allow her to better provide for her family moving forward.
“This opportunity will give me a chance to make more money. I'll be able to drive without worrying about getting pulled over and not making it back to my kids every day,” Pierce said.
Mayor Jorge Elorza said the number one reason people are arrested in the city of Providence is for driving with a suspended license.
The restoration program launched in September helps with case management, legal support, and financial aid for people facing unpaid fees and fines from missed traffic court hearings or suspensions related to fines.
Applicants must be residents of Providence and have incomes at or below 65% of the median income.
The city has had about 800 applicants so far. Officials said they’re working through them to see who qualifies.
“The 800 folks who have raised their hands and said help me are at the tip of the iceberg,” said Jennifer Wood with the Rhode Island Center for Justice.
The city said 60 licenses have been restored so far and that it has used about $30,000 of the available $724,000.
We’re told no one who’s had their license reinstated through the program has had it removed again.
Wood said many of their clients aren’t even aware that their licenses have been suspended until they’re pulled over in a routine manner.
“Really for most of the folks that we’re working with, there’s a willingness and a desire to be driving legally and safely, but there is not a path procedurally or economically to get there,” Wood said.
Caprio and Wood said they hope this program sparks systemic and structural change so that these fines and fees don’t add up in the future.