In the District of Columbia, more than 11,000 individuals are on probation at any given time and an even larger number of District residents have successfully completed their probation. A past criminal record is a serious barrier to employment. Ex-offenders often find themselves paying for their crime again and again when they are turned down by job after job because of their past. Finding and keeping employment can mean the difference between a new life and a return to the old life. Fortunately, there are many legal strategies for dealing with a criminal record as a barrier to employment.
Many rap sheets contain mistakes that can be corrected.
Some records can be expunged or removed from the public record. Some crimes can be pardoned, thereby permanently erasing the conviction. The guide will explain how to obtain and decipher a rap sheet, how to correct mistakes, when it might be appropriate to have a record expunged, and how to request a pardon. The curricula will be integrated into the EJC s community education program in the fall of 2001, and will be delivered by trained volunteers to at least 500 ex-offenders and case managers by the end of 2002. During the research phase, the fellow will build on the D.C. research already done to determine the rules and regulations in Maryland and Virginia.