Wilmington senator hosting expungement fairs

Delaware State News
Posted 11/3/21

DOVER — Sen. Darius Brown, D-Wilmington, is hosting a series of expungement fairs to help people across the state learn how they can earn a second chance at life.

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Wilmington senator hosting expungement fairs

Posted

DOVER — Sen. Darius Brown, D-Wilmington, is hosting a series of expungement fairs to help people across the state learn how they can earn a second chance at life.

The fairs are set for Tuesday at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, 101 N. Queen St., Dover, and Nov. 16 at Georgetown Town Hall, 39 The Circle. Each fair will be held from 3-6 p.m.

A limited number of free, one-on-one expungement counseling spaces will be available at each fair to those who register here.

Counseling spaces will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis to those who register before Friday for the Kent County fair and before Nov. 12 for the Sussex County event.

“Delawareans with a criminal record for even the lowest-level crimes face barriers to employment, housing and an education — a lasting punishment that can haunt them long after their sentence is complete,” said Sen. Brown. “The adult expungement process we created two years ago replaces those barriers to economic opportunity with avenues to upward mobility, and these expungement fairs will help formerly justice-involved individuals in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties take their first steps down the road to redemption.”

More than 250 people received help with the expungement process when Sen. Brown hosted the first expungement fair at New Destiny Fellowship in Wilmington in late December 2019 — before the Adult Expungement Reform Act took effect. Additional fairs planned in 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With more than 80% of adult Delawareans now vaccinated against COVID-19, these events may now continue safely, with proper health protocols in place, Sen. Brown said. All guests will be required to wear masks while indoors and to maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing, in keeping with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

“Delaware has taken tremendous strides over the last several years to make the process of clearing one’s record easier and more accessible,” said Eliza Hirst, assistant public defender for post-disposition relief with the Delaware Office of Defense Services. “These expungement fairs are a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the expungement process and to find out if they are eligible. A criminal record should not be what defines who we are, and second chances are possible.”

The fairs are being held in partnership with the Office of Defense Services, the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System, the State Bureau of Identification, The Way Home, the Methodist Action Program, Mount Zion AME Church, the APEX Program and other community partners.

“So many individuals, who have served their time, are still plagued with the stain of incarceration, even 10 years down the road, when background checks are done for employment, housing, to start a business or even to establish credit,” said Paulette Rappa, director of The Way Home. “It could go as far as denying a person from attending their own son’s military graduation. A clean record is a clear path to a better quality of life.”

The Adult Expungement Reform Act of 2019 expanded the availability of expungements beyond those who have received a pardon or were charged but never actually convicted of a crime.

“The existence of a criminal record results in damaging collateral consequences. The expungement procedures have been uniquely developed to offer a fresh start and remove barriers for justice-involved persons who seek a sustainable and equitable lifestyle,” said Dominique Truitt, APEX Program coordinator. “Second chances are attainable, and statewide fairs such as this serve the distinct purpose of offering the resources and knowledge necessary to achieve that task.”

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