Over the weekend, The Baltimore Sun covered new state laws that will allow individuals to have non-convictions and certain minor offenses (including those that are no longer crimes) removed from their records. It can be difficult for individuals with criminal records to find jobs—even if the charges were dropped or the offense minor. “Studies show that minorities, who are more likely to be arrested, have been affected disproportionately,” the article says.
Caryn Aslan at Job Opportunities Task Force, a long-time OSI-Baltimore grantee, was quoted in the article. “It’s obvious that interaction with law enforcement is not just a criminal justice issue, it’s an employment issue,” she says. “A large segment of our working population is effectively unemployable as a result of a prior blemish.”
Job Opportunities Task Force is holding an expungment/shielding clinic on Thursday, October 1st.
