Over 40 Free Record Clearing, Sealing, and Educational Events Scheduled in 30 U.S. Cities
The second annual National Expungement Week (N.E.W) will be held from September 21-28, 2019, with events in 30 cities throughout the country. A coalition of more than three dozen organizations working at the intersection of the cannabis industry, racial equity, and reparative justice, led by Equity First Alliance and Cage-Free Repair, conceived the week to highlight the need to fully integrate those disenfranchised by the war on drugs within their respective communities.
Events to be featured throughout the week include free clinics to help remove, seal, or reclassify eligible convictions from criminal records (depending on local legislation), as well as provide expungement education workshops and complementary services.
N.E.W. events have inspired teams of attorneys, organizers, and activists nationwide to continue to increase expungement opportunities where possible, with over 40 events scheduled to take place throughout the week. Cities featuring participating events have nearly doubled from 16 in 2018 to 30, including major hubs such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. N.E.W. is made possible by presenting sponsors Houseplant and Canopy Growth Corporation, dozens of local sponsors and partners, and the tireless work of community-based organizations dedicated to repairing harms of the War on Drugs.
“Too many people are locked up in this country, and far too many people are still locked out of society long after they’ve completed their sentence. This week offers a way to provide legal relief and wraparound services to justice-impacted people and their families while calling for automated expungement,” says Torie Marshall, director of programs at Cage-Free Repair.
The inaugural N.E.W., which ran from October 20-27, 2018, is credited with leading 298 people to record clearing and sealing – resulting in a public benefit of over $3 million in its first year alone. Over 400 people also received related social services including employment resources, voter registration, and health screenings. Though expungement legislation, especially in regards to cannabis convictions, has gained in acceptance across the political spectrum, the laws themselves present a virtual web of legal procedures and restrictions, solidifying N.E.W.’s push to expand access to expungement and streamline the use of automated expungement.
“Every community’s events look different. In Boston, our event will feature record clearance and GED services, voter registration, and a City Councilor candidate forum. In Chicago, educational events will let people know about recent changes in the state’s expungement and cannabis laws. In Washington, DC, N.E.W. events will provide housing and legal assistance, resume workshops, and other re-entry services,” says Joe Gilmore, president of Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council, one of the participating organizations.
Here in Detroit, on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 1pm, Pastor Myron Jenkins of the Biblical Faith Ministry Center, Attorney Robyn L. McCoy of McCoy & Associates, PLLC, and the Michigan Children’s Law Center, are collaborating to bring an Expungement Forum with the Honorable Judge Deborah Thomas of the Third Circuit Court and a Legislative Update with the Honorable State Representative Issac Robinson and Former State Representative Mary Waters to the Biblical Faith Ministry Center located at 20118 Schoolcraft, Detroit, Michigan 48223. The event is free and open to the public.
Pastor Myron Jenkins said that his church is “committed to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world” and “making sure that the general public has access to resources that will help them to redeem themselves”.
Attorney Robyn L. McCoy, who is also an educational advocate and attorney with the Michigan Children’s Law Center, said that “it is important that we educate people on how to redeem themselves and set aside their criminal convictions and that we do what is necessary to expand the expungement statutes so that more people are given the opportunity to clear their records, get a job and become productive citizens.”
The Detroit Recovery Project will also host an Expungement Clinic & Voter Registration on September 21 and 28 at 1145 W. Grand Blvd, and 1121 E. McNichols Rd. in Detroit.