Office of Public Health and Safety hosts record expungement opportunity

The Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) and the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic will host a free expungement event Saturday. 

OPHS Deputy Director of Programs and Management Carlette Duffy said the event is for those who are seeking to reenter society and the workforce.

“We just want to put the information out there and get them connected directly with the resources and the people that can help them get expunged so that they can live successful lives and reduce the opportunities for them to recidivise,” Duffy said.

OPHS Director of Reentry, Winta Gebremichael, explained how expungement works if the crime involved meets certain criteria.

“So if you have a criminal history pulled by the State Police Department, and there is information on it, depending on the level of the crime it's associated with, any misdemeanors, any charges that didn’t result in casing files, anything from the juvenile history, that would show up, all of these things no longer show up on your criminal history,” Gebremichael said.

The event begins at 10 a.m. at the JTV Hill Community Center.  Attendees are asked to bring state-issued ID and documentation showing the last 10 years of their address. Information about voter registration, job opportunities, and food and housing resources will also be available.