PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — April is National Second Chance Month. Though the month may be ending, the Defender Association of Philadelphia is continuing their work year-round, connecting communities to services that keep them out of the justice system.
The Defender Association provides free legal services for community members on the second Tuesday of every month, says Keisha Hudson, chief defender. It’s part of their community based solutions to reduce racial disparities, and create stronger, safer neighborhoods.
Each month, on Defender Day Tuesdays, free criminal record expungements are available, as well as job and resource assistance.
“If you've been arrested and you have not been convicted, or you've been found not guilty, or your case was dismissed, you can come and get that case removed from your record. And that really helps our clients again, access not only services, but employment and housing, so that they can clear their criminal record. On Defender Day, we have staff members there who will file those petitions for expungement.”
She says, last year, they filed more than 14,000 petitions to expunge or seal records, a critical conduit to interrupting cycles that lead to poverty, violence and more incarceration.
Councilmember Cindy Bass, a partner for the event, says the next expungement clinic and resource fair is scheduled for May 9, at the Nicetown Court Apartments on Germantown Avenue.
“We have a lot of returning citizens in our district and our neighborhoods, and we want to make sure that they have every opportunity to be able to start their lives over again, and be productive members of society,” Bass said.
“We want to make sure that everybody has every opportunity to start a new, start fresh, build their family, build our communities up. We want to make sure that they're able to come back to our neighborhoods, and to give back and, and that we're all a support system. And so that's really what defender days is, it's a part of the larger village.”
Related
