Mayor announces spring Expungement Clinic, Job Fair
News release provided by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Mayor Linda Gorton today announced plans for the next Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinic and Job Fair.
The event, set for Thursday, April 24, at Central Bank Center, will once again offer residents the possibility of expunging qualifying misdemeanors and felonies from their criminal records.
“Our Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinics have been a beacon of hope and transformation for many in our community,” Gorton said. “These clinics have been widely attended, and continue to help our residents expunge their records from low level, non-violent offenses, allowing them to start a new chapter in their lives.”
Tiffany Brown, the City’s Chief Opportunity Officer, coordinates Clean Slate Lexington events. “The expungement process not only clears a person’s record, but also restores dignity and hope. It is a chance to move beyond mistakes of the past, and to pursue new opportunities without the weight of a criminal record,” Brown said.
In Kentucky, expungement reform has been occurring for over 30 years. In recent years, the legislature has expanded expungement eligibility to include many low-level, non-violent offenses. Eligibility details will be available at the Clean Slate event.
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass Executive Director Robert Johns said, “April is Second Chance Month, and we are excited to be part of Lexington’s Clean Slate Expungement Clinic this month. We believe that everyone deserves a second chance, and the expungement of criminal records can provide that second chance for folks to have opportunities for better jobs, housing, and education. Expungement can be life-changing, and we appreciate Lexington’s continued commitment to supporting second chances.”
Kentucky Department of Corrections Division of Reentry Services Western Region Branch Manager Daniel Goyette said, “In 2023, nearly 70% of individuals released from incarceration successfully returned to their communities and did not return to incarceration. These individuals are contributing to the workforce, providing for their families, and breaking generational cycles of crime. When we work together to ensure that those who have paid their debt to society have the resources and tools needed to succeed outside of the prison walls, Kentucky succeeds, and our children are safer.”
Employers will be on site to conduct job interviews, and the state and city workforce programs, WORK-Lexington and the Kentucky Career Center, will also be available.
Amy Glasscock, the City’s Director of Business Engagement, said, “Our upcoming job and resource fair is dedicated to creating meaningful second-chance opportunities through employment, support services, and community partnerships. Together, we can build a community that doesn’t define people by a mistake, but lifts them up, based on their potential. Every person deserves a second chance.”
Registration and a background check are required for those interested in participating in the Clean Slate Expungement Clinic and Job Fair. Those interested in attending the expungement clinic are encouraged to register in advance.
The expungement clinic will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 24, at Central Bank Center. Find details and register online.
News release provided by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
https://www.lexingtonky.gov/news/mayor-announces-spring-expungement-clinic-job-fair-0
