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 FY2022 PLSE ASSISTED 1,860 LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS FROM 141 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 485 PEOPLE. AND OF THE 1,860 PEOPLE WHO CAME TO US 1,375 BECAME NEW CLIENTS. WE FILED A TOTAL OF 2,789 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. PLSE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE BOARD OF PARDONS TO REFORM ITS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND TODAY THE PROCESS IS FREE AND THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLY STREAMLINED AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE FOR APPLICANTS IN THE NEW YEAR. IN MARCH PLSE WAS AWARDED THE REENTRY ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR AWARD BY THE PHILADELPHIA REENTRY COALITION. IN FY2022 PLSE ACCEPTED 1,155 NEW CLIENTS FOR PARDON SERVICES AND 95 HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO COACHES. TRAINING THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS OF OTHER NON-PROFITS CDCS COMMUNITIES OF FAITH AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS PLSE ALSO PROVIDES NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED ASSISTANCE. PLSE IS CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THE MODEL THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH WHERE PROJECTS ARE EITHER IN PLACE OR PLANNED IN 23 OF 67 COUNTIES - ALLEGHENY BEAVER BUCKS CENTRE CHESTER CUMBERLAND DAUPHIN DELAWARE ERIE LACKAWANNA LANCASTER LAWRENCE LEBANON LEHIGH LUCERNE MCKEAN MONTGOMERY PHILADELPHIA SOMERSET WASHINGTON WAYNE WESTMORLAND AND YORK.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION - THANKS IN LARGE PART TO PLSE'S WORK THERE IS A GROWING APPRECIATION THAT ENDING INTER-GENERATIONAL POVERTY REQUIRES ERASING CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS. IN FY2022 UTILIZING VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES PLSE MADE 867 PRESENTATIONS TO PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OPINION LEADERS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AND PROVIDED 14 PARDON COACH TRAININGS IN ADDITION TO HOLDING COMMUNITY-BASED CRIMINAL RECORDS CLINICS. PLSE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS SELF-HELP VIDEO LIBRARY WHICH BECAME OFFICIALLY LINKED TO THE BOARD OF PARDONS' WEBSITE. PLSE ALSO PUBLISHED REPORTS ON TOPICS RANGING FROM COMMUNITIES COMING TOGETHER IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE EXPEDITING PARDONS IN PENNSYLVANIA: AN ANALYSIS OF 1,143 PARDON DECISIONS MADE BY THE BOARD OF PARDONS AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND COST SAVINGS MAKING DEI REAL BY CUTTING DOWN CHAINS FROM THE PAST.