Newsletter Vol 6 No 3

March 2024

April is officially “Second Chance Month” having been proclaimed so by both President  Biden and Governor Shapiro. We were particularly impressed by what Governor Shapiro announced in his Proclamation , a copy of which he sent to us:

   “WHEREAS, in the land of the free, a criminal record should not mean a lifetime disqualification from the opportunity to build a better life for oneself or one’s family; and…

   WHEREAS, the stigma and legal barriers associated with a criminal record can contribute to recidivism, which increases victimization and decreases public safety; these barriers also result in lost human capital and lost human output for the United States; and,



   WHEREAS, helping people with criminal records become productive members of society benefits their families and communities in many ways, including improving safety, reducing crime, and boosting community and economic development ….”

The President conveyed similar sentiments in his proclamation, beginning it by saying:

“America was founded on the promise of new beginnings. During Second Chance Month, we recommit to building a criminal justice system that lives up to those ideals so that people returning to their communities from jail or prison have a fair shot at the American Dream.

Every year, more than 650,000 people are released from State and Federal prisons, some leaving with nothing more than a few dollars and a bus ticket to start their new lives. In total, over 70 million Americans have a criminal history record, which can make it hard to secure a steady job, safe housing, affordable health care, or a good education — all important things to have when trying to build a good life. Studies show that when these needs are met, we do not just empower formerly incarcerated people — we prevent crime and make our communities safer.”

Powerful words! But powerful words only endure when they are accompanied by powerful actions. Here is how you can help:

1. Click here to email the Gov and remind him that if he can make good on the proclamation he signed by signing the pardons of the hundreds of deserving people who were recommended to him months and months ago!
2. Schedule a screening of Pardon Me to spread the word about how important pardons are.
3. Be trained as a Pardon Coach (1 hour) and volunteer to help someone apply for a pardon.
4. Contribute to PLSE or to your local Pardon Project.

March was a busy month for PLSE which hosted two clinics with new partners and was present at a Town Hall on Community Resources organized by the offices of Sen. Sharif Street and Rep. Darisha K. Parker. 

The town hall was held on March 21st at WES Health System at N. 13th St. and Windrim Avenue. In addition to PLSE, there were representatives from PECO, PGW, the Philadelphia Department of Records, Sankofa Healing Studio, CCP, and many others. Thank you to Rep. Parker and Sen. Street for inviting us to the event and remaining vital partners in our work. 

On Thursday, March 28th, PLSE conducted a record-clearing clinic at North 10’s Lenfest Center with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for the benefit of their landscapers. PLSE is extremely grateful for University of Pennsylvania Law Student Shanika Cooper for organizing volunteers from Penn’s Black Law Students Association to staff the clinic. Thank you to PHS, Penn BLSA, and North 10 for making this clinic possible!

Finally, on March 30th, PLSE hosted a clinic with the ReAwkening Agency at the Claybourne and Leiws Playground on N. 38th St., south of W. Girard Avenue. Thank you to Radee Hammett, founder of the ReAwakening Agency, for organizing the event. If you would like to work with PLSE to host a clinic or would like us to attend your community event, email PLSE Program Director Patrick Jackson Keough at keough@plsephilly.org.

“I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Directors of Bread & Roses Community Fund has approved a general operating grant of $20,000 from the West Philadelphia Community Fund to Do Moore Good.”

Imagine getting THAT letter in the mail! That’s just what happened to filmmaker, Mike Lee Fellow and fourth-generation West-Philadelphian Shuja Moore. Now, his brainchild West Philadelphia Pardon Network (WPPN) can really kick into high gear! Modeled on the statewide Pardon Project, the WPPN has already lined up several businesses, non-profits and elected officials’ district offices to serve as “Pardon Hubs” where people from the neighborhood can go for information and help (like the ICJ – see story below); and a dozen Pardon Coaches from the neighborhood have been trained.

And that’s not all! Harry Hayman - local activist, philanthropist, Senior Fellow at the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, and CEO of Gemini Hospitality Consultants – is now contributing his time, talent and connections, helping the WPPN with designing and making copies of flyers, arranging media, and connecting with his extensive network – the perfect example of what an energized volunteer can do to help. 

What’s so wonderful about all of this is that the WPPN will be operating independently from PLSE – a whole neighborhood of neighbors helping neighbors with their pardon applications, operating independently from PLSE. It’s a first in the City, in the State, and in the County!

Thank you to Harry and to Bread and Roses for your leadership!

Akeem Sims was PLSE’s first J. Gordon Cooney Fellow in Criminal Justice. Freed from his past to pursue a career in accounting, he is a perfect example of what a pardon can mean for someone who deserves a second chance. He’s now a member of the PLSE Board of Directors and the Chair of the Pardon Project Steering Committee (PPSC).

Therefore, it was an honor for PLSE and Akeem that he was invited to speak to the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. Akeem was in Harrisburg to help celebrate Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Managing Attorney Erica Briant, who was receiving an Excellence Award. Erica was instrumental in helping Akeem apply for a pardon.

Akeem took the opportunity to tell the Board about the PPSC’s efforts to reach and enlist people around the Commonwealth who have lived experience in the criminal justice system – spreading the word about pardons and enlarging the PPSC’s voice, so that its call for reforms in the system will be heard by elected officials all over the commonwealth – and hopefully, the country. If you or a member of your family has lived experience and want to help, write ppsc@plsephilly.org.

The Institute for Community Justice (ICJ) has been one of PLSE’s community partners for as long as anyone can remember. We work with ICJ to hold record-clearing clinics, share information with attendees, and then take on whoever qualifies as our clients. Our decades-long partnership grew stronger this past month when ICJ Director Kelly Rascoe and Re-Entry Services Manager Donna Brown-Cade, decided that ICJ senior staff should all be trained on the pardon process in order to help ICJ program participants apply. First, they showed the film Pardon Me at a staff meeting. After that, they were all trained by Pardon Project Director Tobey Oxholm. Finally, Director Rascoe went over to the Records Room in the Criminal Justice Center and created the process by which ICJ could obtain criminal records for its clients. And now, ICJ is its own Pardon Hub!

PLSE will of course continue to partner with ICJ, helping with expungement petitions and providing information and advice about pardons whenever needed. But if your organization is interested in learning about how easy it is to help with pardons, contact us at info@plsephilly.org. 

Kelly, Donna and ICJ, thank you for your leadership! 

On March 21st, the Board of Pardons held their first pardon “merit review” session of the year, where they voted on which applicants would receive a full public hearing in front of the Board. By our count, 173 people received the two or more votes (out of five) required to move to the hearing phase, and 38 people were denied. This makes the overall “hearing granted” rate for this session 82% – almost exactly the same as last year's average (81%).

In addition, 120 people received “yes” votes from all five Board members. Since 2020, 95% or more of applicants receiving a unanimous “yes” vote at merit review were ultimately recommended to the governor after their public hearing. This makes these 120 applicants a no-brainer to excuse from a lengthy interview during the public hearing session. Doing so would decrease the pardon backlog – which now takes over four years of processing from start to finish – and allow the Board to focus their questions where their judgment is truly warranted.

Partners at North Penn Legal Services Hold Expungement Clinic in Wilkes-Barre

On March 12th, North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) and Educational Opportunity Centers of PA (EOC Inc) hosted an expungement clinic at the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The event was well-attended, with 180 participants registered and 72 in attendance. The aim of the clinic was to educate attendees on their record-clearing options and screen for expungement services with NPLS. The event was spearheaded by Carolyn Quinn with EOC Inc, “at Educational Opportunity Centers of PA, we help adults with advancing their education and careers… Recently, we have had an increase of clients that want to move into high priority occupations with better salaries and growth potential but many of those careers include a background check”. She recognized the barriers that criminal records pose, and sought to remove them and meet her clients’ needs. So, she called up NPLS who provide expungement services in her county, and made this event happen. Sometimes it really is that easy to connect people with the resources they need!

The event was divided into two parts: an informational session and an intake session. The informational session was led by Scott Williams of NPLS. He educated attendees on record-sealing options, from expungements to sealing to pardons. The presentation also had a strong emphasis on workplace self-advocacy, as people with records don’t always know what their hiring rights are. Did you know that someone with a record can only be denied a job if the record relates directly to the area of employment they are applying for? For example, a retail theft charge would stop you from getting a retail job, but is not a blanket reason to be denied every job you apply for. 

After the session, people were given the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a member of NPLS staff to complete an intake clinic and screen for expungement services. The event also featured resource tables, with organizations representing resources for recovery, college, and employment. The event was also tabled by the emerging Pardon Project of Luzerne County (PPLC). While North Penn Legal Services provides expungements and record-sealing, they are not in the business of pardons. Luckily, the Pardon Project of Luzerne County is! New NPLS clients were directly referred to the PPLC table and were provided with a services flyer and intake link. This budding relationship between community support organizations and record-clearing service providers will support the members of the NEPA community who are understandably in need of these services. 

And just how did Luzerne’s Pardon Project get involved with this event? It was as simple as making a phone call! The flyer for this event was passed around the Luzerne community and the PPLC made a phone call to EOC Inc’s Carolyn Quinn, who was happy to connect her clients to pardon services. Quinn said, “we know that if we can change a person’s career options, we can change their earning potential, and when we change a person’s economic life- their entire life changes. That is our goal. Working with organizations like North Penn and the Pardon Project of Luzerne County, we can together make an impact that truly can change a person’s life”. Record-cleaning can be as easy as that! Call your local record-clearing organization today, and see what you can get done in your area!

Submitted by Randee Wismer, PLSE Administrative Specialist