For decades, Pennsylvania has been ranked near the top of states having (pro rata) the most people in prison or on probation or parole. Thanks to technology, almost every employer checks on-line criminal records as part of the application process. As a result, LONG after people have "repaid their debt to society" and completed their sentences, their permanent criminal record keeps them from jobs they are qualified for and the higher salaries that would let them and their families escape poverty.

There's only one way to erase convictions from a criminal record and that's a pardon from the Governor. This past April, the Economy League documented the millions of dollars that pardons bring into communities (especially low-income neighborhoods) all around the state, and just this past summer, the Auditor General issued a report urging that more pardons be awarded, more quickly. 

YOU can help. The new pardon application form is straightforward and easy to complete. With just one hour of training, you'll be ready to serve as a "Pardon Coach" and help people complete the form, tell their stories, and get in line for the hearing that will forever change their lives.

Tobey Oxholm, Esquire, Executive Director, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity will present a one-hour CLE via Zoom “The New Pathway to Pardons in Central PA”. In this program, you will learn about:

• The new pardon process and forms,
• What the Board of Pardons is looking for, and
• How ANYONE can to help someone with a criminal record maximize their chances of receiving a hearing, a pardon, and a second chance

At the Zoom Pardons Clinic, pro bono attorneys, paralegals and law students will work with customers looking for assistance. After a brief overview of pardon law, procedural rules and the process for the afternoon, one or two volunteers will be paired with a customer in a private Zoom Room to review the person’s situation and records. If the volunteers need assistance while in the Zoom Room, one of the Pardon Law Experts will join the Room.