Mayor Michael Nutter's Office of Reintegration Services for Ex-Offenders (R.I.S.E.) will host a informational clinic this weekend for ex-offenders looking to have their juvenile arrest records expunged.
The clinic is being co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE) and the Men in Motion in the Community (MIMIC).
Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez took to social media to promote the event, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Edison High School.
Do you have a criminal record or know someone w/ one? Now is your chance: RSVP for Saturday's clinic @PhillyRisingMDO pic.twitter.com/VrHcnPdu8v
— MariaQuinonesSanchez (@MariaQSanchez) April 18, 2014
To expunge a juvenile record means to erase or destroy all evidence related to the arrest and any subsequent verdict. Under Pennsylvania law, a juvenile adjudication is not a criminal conviction. However, similar to an adult criminal record, a juvenile record that is not expunged could affect an individual's ability to join the military, pursue higher education, or obtain employment.
According to the Juvenile Law Center (JLC), few individuals petition the court for expungement of juvenile records because they have the false impression that juvenile offenses are automatically erased from an individual’s record at the age of majority or because they do not know they are eligible to do so.
PLSE has hosted a series of expungement clinics through it's Criminal Record Expungement Project, including a December 2013 session that assisted 150 juveniles with the criminal record expungement process.
R.I.S.E. assists ex-offenders that have been convicted, sentenced, and incarcerated with case management, substance abuse treatment, behavioral health and family strengthening, life coaching, and educational and employment services.
According to the JLC, a person may file to have a juvenile record expunged if the charges against the individual were dismissed, if it has been more than six months since a discharge from a consent decree or supervision, more than five years since an adjudication of delinquency, or if the juvenile is over age 18.
This weekend's clinic will provide additional information about eligibility for expungement for residents in the 19111, 19115, 19124, 19125, 19133, 19134, 19135, 19136, and 19140 zip codes.
Residents who wish to attend the clinic must register by emailing mdqs@phila.gov or by calling 215-683-3370.
Photo Credit: City of Philadelphia