Safer Foundation Menu A2J KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WEBINARS – OCTOBER 2021 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, REMEDIES AND RESOURCES WEBINARS We believe it is important for people engaged with and impacted by the justice system to know their rights. That is why Safer Foundation, in partnership with the Women’s Justice Institute (WJI), is conducting a series of webinars to help people who are incarcerated and people with arrest and conviction records know their rights, know their remedies and also help connect them to legal and reentry resources. Safer Foundation’s Access to Justice (A2J) Community Navigators conduct Know Your Rights Education sessions for people who are incarcerated and those with arrest and conviction records. They also connect people to legal services and reentry services. In addition, the Family Matters series of webinars covers some of the basics of family law, particularly focusing on how family law intersects with the criminal legal system. REGISTER FOR OUR WEBINARS BELOW: Friday, October 1, 2021 from Noon to 1:30 pm – Employment, Occupational Licensing and Education This webinar will cover local, state, and federal legal protections that exist for people with arrest and conviction records in their search for employment. It will also provide useful information that will help guide you through the occupational licensing application process in Illinois (more than 25% of all occupations now require an occupational license). And finally, this session will provide clarity about a person’s ability to access federal financial aid and higher education. To register click Here. Monday, October 4, 2021 from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm – Housing and Driver’s Licenses This session will cover the numerous housing protections that people with arrest and conviction records have at every level of government – federal, state, and local. You will also learn about the protections that exist for people seeking housing in the federally subsidized [public] housing market and in the private housing market. This session will also talk about new laws designed to help people retain their driver’s licenses even if they acquire fines and fees. To register click Here. Tuesday, October 5, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Family Matters: Domestic Relations This webinar will cover topics like divorce, child custody, and visitation. For example, did you know that child custody is now called allocation of parental responsibilities in Illinois? We will examine how people who are incarcerated can file petitions and what options are available. We will also review how a criminal record can be used in cases for visitation or parenting time. To register click Here. Friday, October 8, 2021 from Noon to 1:30 pm – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief This session will teach you about a broad range of forms of criminal records relief such as sealing and expungement (including automatic expungement thanks to the state’s new adult use cannabis law), certificates of good conduct, healthcare worker waivers, and clemency. Voting protections and the US Census will also be covered. To register click Here. Tuesday, October 12, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Family Matters: Impact of Parental Incarceration This webinar will cover statistics surrounding mass incarceration, the importance of parent-child connections, and options for child visitation when a parent is incarcerated. In addition, it will review the process for requesting permission to visit a loved one in prison when you have a past felony conviction or pending criminal case. To register click Here. Friday, October 15, 2021 from Noon to 1:30 pm – Housing and Driver’s Licenses This session will cover the numerous housing protections that people with arrest and conviction records have at every level of government – federal, state and local. You will also learn about the protections that exist for people seeking housing in the federally subsidized [public] housing market and in the private housing market. This session will also talk about new laws designed to help people retain their driver’s licenses even if they acquire fines and fees. To register click Here. Monday, October 18, 2021 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm – Employment, Occupational Licensing and Education This webinar will cover local, state, and federal legal protections that exist for people with arrest and conviction records in their search for employment. It will also provide useful information that will help guide you through the occupational licensing application process in Illinois (more than 25% of all occupations now require an occupational license). And finally, this session will provide clarity about a person’s ability to access federal financial aid and higher education. To register click Here. Tuesday, October 19, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Family Matters: Child Placement Options/Guardianship This webinar will cover the different types of guardianship in Illinois, including short-term, court-ordered, and stand-by guardianship. We will discuss how to establish and discharge guardianships. We will review the paperwork necessary to bring a child to visit a parent in prison. We will learn about the rights of homeless children, including children whose parents are incarcerated. Finally, we will discuss how guardianship can be useful when a parent faces immigration or warrant issues. To register click Here. Friday, October 22, 2021 from Noon to 1:30 pm – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief This session will teach you about a broad range of forms of criminal records relief such as sealing and expungement (including automatic expungement thanks to the state’s new adult use cannabis law), certificates of good conduct, healthcare worker waivers, and clemency. Voting protections and the US Census will also be covered. To register click Here. Monday, October 25, 2021 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm – Housing and Driver’s Licenses This session will cover the numerous housing protections that people with arrest and conviction records have at every level of government – federal, state and local. You will also learn about the protections that exist for people seeking housing in the federally subsidized [public] housing market and in the private housing market. This session will also talk about new laws designed to help people retain their driver’s licenses even if they acquire fines and fees. To register click Here. Tuesday, October 26, 2021 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm – Family Matters: Child Welfare System This webinar will discuss the Department of Children and Family Services and the child welfare system. Participants will learn the timeline of child welfare cases and what various terms mean. We will also discuss how parents can appeal indicated reports. We will spend time discussing how parental rights can be terminated, particularly how criminal records can be used against parents in these cases. Finally, we will examine how criminal records impact the ability to foster children. To register click Here. Friday, October 29, 2021 from Noon to 1:30 pm – Employment, Occupational Licensing and Education This webinar will cover local, state, and federal legal protections that exist for people with arrest and conviction records in their search for employment. It will also provide useful information that will help guide you through the occupational licensing application process in Illinois (more than 25% of all occupations now require an occupational license). And finally, this session will provide clarity about a person’s ability to access federal financial aid and higher education. To register click Here. Access to Justice (A2J) is an Illinois statewide program that seeks to mitigate the devastating consequences of incarceration and family separation on vulnerable communities by: expanding effective and holistic community-based legal services, providing opportunities for authentic local leadership of affected individuals, sharing experience and best practices between partner organizations to increase capacity, and engaging in public discourse about the consequences of incarceration and deportation. This will be achieved through mass education provided through Community Navigators and the provision of legal services. Facebook Twitter YouTube Safer Foundation, an Illinois not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, began providing employment, educational, and supportive services for individuals with criminal records in 1972. With headquarters in Chicago, Safer Foundation’s staff of more than 250 assist clients in facilities throughout Illinois and eastern Iowa. FIND US Address 571 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60661 Phone (312) 922-2200 Fax (312) 922-0839 © 2021 Safer Foundation. All Rights Reserved. To the top ↑