Mississippi Center for Justice holds expungement clinic in Hinds County

Lawyers, volunteers and civic engagement leaders with the Mississippi Center for Justice guided attendees through the expungement process. Economic justice director Charity Bruce Sweet said criminal records can affect nearly every part of a person’s life.

“We are a champion for in forma pauperis,” Sweet said, referring to a court motion that waives filing fees for people who cannot afford them. “It’s a mechanism you can file with the court to say, ‘Hey, I’m indigent. I cannot afford these fees, but I need to get my record expunged.’ We draft those documents for people if necessary.”

For some, the clinic cut significant costs. Tiffany, who works at a group home, said she was quoted about $1,000 to handle the paperwork on her own.

“We all make mistakes when we’re younger, and we don’t want that following us around,” she said. “It would just be nice not to have this kind of hassle for mistakes made in the past.”

Last year, the Mississippi Center for Justice drafted expungement petitions for 283 people across the state, with 43 of those successfully cleared. State law allows one felony conviction to be expunged, while certain misdemeanor convictions can be expunged after two years from the last conviction. The organization also helps clear arrests and dismissed charges. Sweet emphasized that eligibility varies case by case.

Many attendees, including Lawrence, came hoping to advance their careers. Although he is employed, he said past background checks cost him job opportunities.

“It didn’t affect me with this position,” he said. “But with other positions I applied for, I was denied because of my criminal record.”

Sweet noted that expungement needs extend beyond young adults seeking second chances. Older residents often seek help when applying for benefits or returning to the workforce.

When a record is expunged, state statute says it should be treated as if it did not occur. Still, Sweet encourages honesty, noting that human error in background checks can cause cleared charges to reappear.

“Systems are run by humans, and humans make errors,” she said. “Even if you expunge something, it’s possible it still shows up. Honesty is the best policy.”

Sweet also addressed confusion around voting rights. Some crimes permanently disenfranchise people under the state constitution, but the expungement statute says a cleared offense should be treated as nonexistent.

“We do believe the Constitution and the statute are aligned, but because a court has never ruled on it, we’re not always sure how to advise people,” she said.

Sweet added that events like the clinic help the organization better understand community needs and how to serve people more effectively.

“Those with criminal records, it could hold you back in certain situations,” Lawrence said. “If that’s the case, keep your head up and keep moving forward. If one door closes, many more can open.”

The next expungement clinic will be held April 17 in McComb, with the Mississippi Bar Association and NAACP participating.