Giving others a second chance at life; expungement clinic held in Scottsville
ALLEN COUNTY, Ky. – Having a past record can be crippling when you’re trying to return to a normal life.
One government agency in Allen County is giving people with prior convictions another chance.
Tuesday, the Kentucky Legal Aid and Project Renew Kentucky held their annual expungement clinic to help clear the backgrounds of Allen County citizens with past charges.
“One of the biggest things we do is helping people expunge their criminal record. The best thing about that is employment opportunities, sometimes housing opportunities, sometimes student loan opportunities,” said Attorney Sam Lowe, the re-entry recovery coordinator with the Kentucky Legal Aid.
Free of charge, attorneys assisted in helping those with a background by reviewing their record. The process takes about six months if a judge approves it.
Attorney Sam Lowe said this is a win for Allen County by ensuring more jobs to be filled in and contributing to an economic impact in Allen County.
“Everybody better off the more people that are working. This helps people that are either unemployed and they have to check the box that says they have a felony, or underemployed and ready to move up and do something, a different job than what they were doing while having a felony,” Lowe said.
Lowe said you have to wait five years after sentencing and that the only charges available for expungement, according to Kentucky law, are most Class D and misdemeanor charges.
At the clinic, many people began to fill the lobby, including Beverly Massey. She had a prior charge on her record for more than 20 years and tried to have it expunged during covid.
“I was at a standstill, and I didn’t know what to do. I think they can help me get this taken care of,” Beverly Massey said, an Allen County resident.
Beverly turned her life around since her charge and also made history in the program. “I am the first person to enter and graduate from the Allen County drug program,” she said.
She said she’s elated to live life without limitations and reminders of who she used to be.
“For one I have to get all my rights back. Voting rights and everything. If I go for something and they go to look up my record, it will show that it’s not there anymore so that helps a lot,” Massey said.
She is preparing to turn the page to a new chapter in court and walk away with a fresh start. “It’s important to me. It’s important to my family. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am now, so I’m excited about this. I hope it works,” she said.
If you missed Tuesday’s event, you can reach out to the Kentucky Legal Aid for more information.
