Second Chance Desk in Athens helps people restrict viewing of criminal records
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday in Athens for the opening of an office that can help people with criminal convictions effectively restrict public viewing of these histories.
The Second Chance Desk of the Georgia Justice Project can clean a person’s conviction on public records with a goal of enabling the person find employment, obtain housing and moving forward with their lives, according to Tiffany Gordon, staff attorney for the Project at its headquarters in Atlanta.
The new office is supported by Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Will Fleenor and Western Circuit District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez.
The office, which offers its service to residents of Clarke and Oconee counties, is located in the ACC’s Public Utilities Department at 124 East Hancock Ave.
The office is only the second to open in the state. The first opened in Cobb County and a third is set to open soon in Augusta, according to Gordon.
According to the agency, Georgia in 2020 joined 41 other states “that allow an individual an opportunity to expunge certain convictions after a period of time.”
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Although in some instances an attorney can assist in applying for the program, Gordon said the office can explain what can be cleared on a person’s record and what cannot be removed.
Fleenor, whose office prosecutes misdemeanor crimes in State Court, said the process can be done quickly. A person can apply online and when the application is sent to his office a file is created that includes the person’s criminal history.
This file, he said, is shared with the Second Chance Desk of the Georgia Justice Project.
If a person has a felony conviction, then those applications must go through the District Attorney’s Office for approval, Fleenor said.
“My office is still responsible for creating all the files,” he said.
Although criminal records under the law used by the office can be restricted to public viewing, the office noted that law enforcement will retain access to the criminal history records.
A state law has also established liability protections for employers who hire individuals with a criminal history to encourage employers to engage in second chance hiring, according to the project.
People who cannot afford a lawyer to assist in the matter can obtain free legal representation by calling (404) 827-0027, ext. 238
The desk in Athens will set appointments for the last Thursday of each month. To register go to: https://www.accgov.com/SecondChanceDesk
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Second Chance Desk in Athens helps close criminal histories
