Center for Justice helping with a second chance at life
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss., (WCBI) – When crimes are committed, and people serve out their sentences, they often have a hard time assimilating back into society.
Even after they’ve served their time, the record of that crime can follow them.
The Mississippi Center for Justice wants to help with that by helping them clear their record.
The group is holding expungement clinics throughout the state.
For people who may have a felony, a second chance can seem far away. But it could be closer than they think.
Sierre Anton, a staff lawyer with the Mississippi Center for Justice, said depending on the charge, there can be a path to clearing someone’s record.
“So we’re a part of the economic justice team, our whole goal is to try and improve opportunities for people in Mississippi who are facing adversity. And this is one of the easiest ways you can try to go ahead and get a fresh start.”
He said being able to get gainful employment, even housing, can depend on getting their records expunged. But they can’t clear everything.
“Violent felony convictions are the biggest category that we cannot help with, also if you have charges that have to do with drug trafficking, so that could be certain amounts of drugs, some manufacturing charges we can’t help with. Also, if you have multiple DUI convictions, we can’t help with those.”
Natalee Lowery, a member of Peter’s Rock Temple in Macon and one of the lawyers helping with the clinic, said another member, Mary Hampton Macon, has been trying to get this program to come to Macon.
She said these clinics are important, especially to those in rural areas who may not know this option is open to them.
“Its incredibly important for small rural areas like Noxubee County for people to be exposed to clinics like this and hopefully to benefit their future going forward.”
She said to be able to give people back their freedom, is why they do what they do.
“And that’s the purpose of this clinic. And I think its really important with things like this, they may not know about opportunities like this, and that’s why bringing a clinic to Noxubee County was so important,” she said.
The Mississippi Center for Justice is trying to take the expungement clinic to each of Mississippi’s 82 counties. There will be one in Columbus next month.
