When an ex-offender has completed a prison sentence and paid off any court-sanctioned fines, they have, in theory, paid their debt to society. In reality, however, a record can follow an ex-offender through life for decades, permanently closing off access to education, housing, and employment. Over the past year, New Jersey has streamlined the process of expunging some criminal records in an effort to make it easier for people to rebuild their lives after finishing their sentence.
Stono Public Affairs, which offered a series of expungement clinics last summer, will co-sponsor a new clinic in Jersey City later this month, alongside the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender and the Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. During Stono’s Summer of Freedom Expungement Clinic series, over 400 people had the chance to sit down with attorneys and learn more about the expungement process and if and when they would be eligible. In total, 222 petitions for expungement were filed on behalf of eligible individuals in Newark, Paterson, Trenton, and Mays Landing. The upcoming clinic will offer attendees access to legal professionals who will assist with expungement eligibility screenings, application preparation, and additional guidance as needed.
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