Housing Authority of Shreveport & Community Partners Host Legal Clinic to Assist Youth With Expungements

SHREVEPORT, La., March 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 17, 2018, the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana and the Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport (HACS) alongside community partners will host a free expungement legal clinic and job readiness fair at Southern University at Shreveport.

Volunteer attorneys in Shreveport and New Orleans will assist participants in starting the process of expunging a record of arrest or conviction, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet job training providers and potential employers. This event is the third in a series designed to assist youth with their criminal records and is hosted by the Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP). The goal of the series is to improve access to housing and employment for youth with past criminal records.

"A criminal record is the largest obstacle to adequate employment. JRAP's expungement program helps to level the playing field for people marginalized by minor convictions, which is a benefit for our society as a whole," said Curtis Davis, Director of VOTE-Shreveport, a program partner.

This event will feature the launch of a new Expungement E-Clinic, a technology developed by Southern University Law Center and LexVita in partnership with the Justice & Accountability Center. This E-Clinic aims to democratize access to expungement legal services by allowing individuals to receive free expungement legal assistance via video conference. At this inaugural event, participants will receive assistance in completing their expungement paperwork from law students, as well as pro bono attorneys located in New Orleans, through this new E-Clinic technology. This technology will allow this and future events to serve more participants than would otherwise be possible. JAC will host the web technology on their website and it will be open to the general public in the future.

The Juvenile Re-Entry Assistance Program (JRAP) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). HACS is working alongside community partners including the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana, The Norris Law Group, LLC, The Law Offices of Felicia M. Hamilton, LLC, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), the NAACP, Southern University Shreveport, Southern University Law Center, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, and the Louisiana State Bar Association.

The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 2:00 p.m. at Southern University at Shreveport in the gymnasium, located at 3050 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana 71107. The event will see up to 100 participants, first-come, first-served. It is recommended that participants bring the court minutes for the case that they seek an expungement. This event is free and open to the public.

ABOUT JAC: JAC is a nonprofit located in New Orleans that advocates alongside individuals previously incarcerated. We provide legal services, community and legal education, and policy advocacy. Our goal is to reduce the incarceration rate by helping people recover from contact from the criminal justice system.

Contact: Curtis Davis, 318-828-0377

Related Images

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Clean Your Jacket
The Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana organizes Clean Jacket events across the state to assist individuals with expungements, or sealing a record of arrest or conviction.

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JAC Logo
The logo of the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana.

Related Links

Justice & Accountability Center

Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport

SOURCE Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana