The City Bar Justice Center is launching an exciting new initiative to provide legal services and information to persons with criminal records to assist their re-entry into society.  According to the NYSBA's recent report "Re-Entry and Reintegration: The Road to Public Safety", one in three Americans has some sort of criminal history.  As of 2003, nearly six million adults in New York State had criminal records.  Regardless of whether these people have been charged with a crime and never convicted or have been convicted of and served a period of incarceration, they face a myriad of collateral and hidden consequences that can adversely affect every aspect of their lives: economic opportunities, family rights, immigration status, housing, employment, and civil rights.  Nor does this just affect those with serious felony convictions.  Misdemeanor convictions and even mere arrests can result in devastating consequences. 

The Re-Entry Project will provide legal services to persons with criminal records who are victims of the civil consequences of having a criminal record, including reviewing and correcting rap sheets, assisting with filing for Certificates of Relief from Disabilities (CRD), or Certificates of Good Conduct (CGC), and representing clients at hearings challenging denials of public housing applications based on past criminal convictions.

To raise awareness of these issues, the Justice Center is sponsoring a Re-Entry Forum on Wednesday, October 18th from 3:00 to 6:00 with a wine and cheese reception to follow.  See below for program details:


WELCOME
BARRY KAMINS
President, New York City Bar

PANEL DISCUSSION

MODERATOR:
ELLIS COSE
Author & Contributing Editor, Newsweek Magazine

PANELISTS:
DEBBIE MUKAMAL
Director, Prisoner Re-Entry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

ANTHONY THOMPSON
Professor of Law, Re-Entry Clinic, New York University Law School

GLENN MARTIN
Co-Director, National HIRE Network, Legal Action Center  

ANNE SWERN
First Assistant District Attorney, Kings County

TRAINING SESSION

CRIMINAL JUSTICE 101: RAP SHEET REVIEWS AND CERTIFICATES OF RELIEF

MCGREGOR SMYTH
Project Director & Supervising Attorney, Civil Action Project, The Bronx Defenders and Director, Reentry Net

CIVIL CONSEQUENCES OF A CRIMINAL RECORD AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
SALLY FRIEDMAN
Legal Director, Legal Action Center

DENIALS OF APPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING
LISA PEARLSTEIN
Director, Legal Clinic for the Homeless, City Bar Justice Center


To register, please send an email to Sara Chang at schang@nycbar.org by Friday, October 13th.