Alabamians with certain non-violent crimes on their records will have the chance to get legal help to clear their criminal histories in Montgomery this weekend.
About five attorneys from Legal Services Alabama, a non-profit that represents low-income people will be meeting with residents at the First Baptist Church of Greater Washington Park in Montgomery on Saturday to start the legal process of expunging the records of anyone who shows up and is eligible.
Elizabeth Hollie, a managing attorney at legal services, said that under the Alabama Redeemer Act, passed in 2021, some nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors can be cleared from people’s records to help them get jobs and housing.
“What we see here is a lot of people who are trying to get employment. They may have done something, years ago, you know, sometimes we have our youthful days where we make mistakes,” she said.
The law allows people who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes, such as minor traffic violations, theft and drug related crimes, to apply for expungement, which clears criminal history from public records except for law enforcement purposes.
“Expungements are especially important during our current eviction crisis, as even minor criminal records can impact a person’s ability to find stable and quality housing,” legal services said in a press release this week.
The group has held expungement clinics in cities around the state for the past year, according to Hollie. She said she expects about 500 people to attend the clinic in Montgomery on Saturday.
Normally the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency charges $25 for the expungement process, but many people who start the process through legal services will be able to do it for free.
Hollie said getting past crimes expunged from the record helps parents provide for their children.
“If you can’t support your child because you can’t get a job, it’s creating a cycle of need,” she said. “They’re going to lack if their parents can’t afford to feed them, to clothe them (or) to give them housing.”
Saturday’s clinic will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Greater Washington Park in Montgomery.