Jail Brakers and Prairie State Legal Services offer cannabis expungement event Sept. 3
On Saturday, Sept. 3, Jail Brakers and the experts at Prairie State Legal Services are offering a special presentation on the sealing and expungement of cannabis records and convictions. Find out if you qualify to get your records sealed or expunged.
Jail Brakers, which offers support and services to the families of incarcerated individuals, is hosting this event from 2 to 5 p.m. at the McHenry County Board of Health office, 620 Dakota St. in Crystal Lake. Use the main entrance at the rear of the building.
After the state of Illinois legalized recreational use of cannabis - marijuana - the Legislature passed an automatic expungement of the records of those convicted of simple possession of small amounts of the drug. Many others, however, convicted of possession of larger quantities and/or sale and distribution are required to actively petition to have their records removed. The standing convictions can have drastic consequences for seeking employment and housing, passing background checks, obtaining certain licenses and business permits, obtaining insurance, and even child custody.
Prairie State Legal Services, 400 Russel Court in Woodstock, has developed a special program to guide and instruct individuals on how to make their appeals. The program is free to the public. To register for the event by Friday, Sept. 2, find the event on EventBrite.com.
James Carpenter, a certified recovery support specialist, expedited the program for Jail Brakers and in his broader role coordinating criminal justice system initiatives for Tree of Life.
The program is produced in cooperation with New Leaf Illinois, a statewide, state-funded initiative made up of 20 nonprofit organizations throughout Illinois who provide free legal representation or legal information to people who want their cannabis convictions off their record.
Jail Breakers is an independent ministry of Tree of Life serving the entire McHenry County community. Contributions to support its work can be made by sending a check made out to Tree of Life UU Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road, McHenry, IL 60050 with Jail Brakers on the memo line or donate online at treeoflifeuu.breezechms.com/give/online and select Jail Brakers from the drop-down menu under "Give to Unpledged Donations." The donations are placed in a dedicated fund and not used for any other purpose. Tree of Life also donates all the administrative expenses of the program so 100% of all donations go directly to client assistance.
For assistance and information, contact James Carpenter at (815) 322-3223 or jailbrakersjames@gmail.com, or visit treeoflifeuu.org/justice/social-justice/jail-brakers/.