Philadelphia Lawyers For Social Equity

PLSE PROVIDES EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE CREATION DISSEMINATION AND DESTRUCTION OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS AND THE INTER-GENERATIONAL HARM THOSE RECORDS CAUSE; AND PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS OBTAIN EXPUNGEMENTS AND PARDONS.

CRIMINAL RECORDS EXPUNGEMENT PROJECT - EMPLOYERS LANDLORDS TRADE SCHOOLS FINANCIAL AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS LICENSING BOARDS AND OTHERS FREQUENTLY USE OFTEN ILLEGALLY PAST CRIMINAL RECORD HISTORIES TO DENY OPPORTUNITIES TO QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. THIS HAPPENS EVEN WHEN THE EVENT OCCURRED DECADES EARLIER INVOLVED ONLY A SUMMARY OFFENSE OR EVEN DID NOT RESULT IN A CONVICTION. IN PENNSYLVANIA ONLY JUDGES CAN EXPUNGE DELETE OR SEAL REMOVE FROM THE PUBLIC RECORD CRIMINAL RECORD INFORMATION. DESPITE THE MANY IMPEDIMENTS TO ACCESSING INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES AS WE SLOWLY CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC IN FY2023 PLSE ASSISTED 1,901 LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS FROM 152 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES INCLUDING ALL 47 RESIDENTIAL ZIP CODES IN PHILADELPHIA. WE PROVIDED BRIEF SERVICES INFORMATION OR REFERRAL AND FOR THOSE NOT INCOME ELIGIBLE FOR 660 PEOPLE. AND OF THE 1,901 PEOPLE WHO CAME TO US 1,241 BECAME NEW CLIENTS. WE FILED A TOTAL OF 7,329 EXPUNGEMENT PETITIONS. APPROXIMATELY 96% OF ALL SUCH PETITIONS ARE GRANTED BY THE COURT.

PARDON PROJECT - WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS EXPUNGING A CONVICTION REQUIRES A PARDON FROM THE GOVERNOR. PLSE BEGAN THE PARDON PROJECT IN 2018 WHEN THE PROCESS TOOK 5 YEARS AND RESULTED IN FAILURE FOR OVER 90% OF ALL WHO PURCHASED THE APPLICATION. TODAY THANKS TO REFORMS DRIVEN BY PLSE THE APPLICATION IS FREE ONLINE AND WRITTEN MOSTLY IN PLAIN ENGLISH. NOT ONLY DOES PLSE HELP ITS PHILADELPHIA CLIENTS WHO QUALIFY APPLY FOR A PARDON - 1,987 NEW PARDON CLIENTS IN FISCAL YEAR ALONE - BUT IT HAS CREATED A VIBRANT NETWORK THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF PARDON PROJECTS WWW.PARDONMEPA.ORG CONNECTING COMMUNITIES OF VOLUNTEERS ALL AROUND THE STATE FOR WHICH PLSE SERVES AS THE CONVENOR AND INFORMATION HUB. ITS PARDON PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE ALL WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS GROWN WITH THE NETWORK AND IS PREPARING FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE FILM PARDON ME IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION - IN FY2023 PLSE WAS HONORED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PROMISE THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S UNIQUE ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAM WHICH IDENTIFIED CRIMINAL RECORDS AS A MAJOR CAUSE OF INTER-GENERATIONAL POVERTY. THANKS TO THAT FUNDING PLSE HELD 16 CLINICS IN DIRECT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PROMISE AND 42 OTHER CLINICS THAT ALL INVOLVED COMMUNITY EDUCATION. IN ADDITION PLSE HELD 18 TRAINING SESSIONS FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER AS PARDON COACHES. PLSE CREATED A NEW WEBSITE WWW.PARDONMEPA.ORG WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AROUND THE STATE AND CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS VIDEO LIBRARY TO HELP INDIVIDUALS NEEDING RECORD-CLEARING INDIVIDUALS WANTING TO VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITIES INTERESTED IN FORMING PARDON PROJECTS.