CeaseFire offers Flint criminal suspects a chance to change

Flint officials have offered seven nonviolent criminal suspects the chance to enter a program that could change their lives for the better. Five suspects accepted the offer to join CeaseFire, an initiative to end violence in U.S. cities. One of the suspects is already seeking help in another program.

Jackie Poplar is president of the Flint City Council.  She says the suspects will be working with prosecutors and social workers.

"We had a mother there that was almost in tears. She was very happy to get her child in this program because she knew the road that he was on was not going to end very well."

Poplar says the program is roughly a year long. The seventh suspect did not respond to the offer and will be held until the trial date.

-Traci Currie - Michigan Radio Newsroom