(Oakland, CA) –  Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who helped establish the event over a year ago, was on hand for the Second Annual Clean Slate Summit at Laney College in Oakland on Saturday.  The Summit is the latest part of an ongoing, collaborative local effort to remove barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people by helping them clear up their criminal records in order to take advantage of employment, education, housing and civic engagement opportunities.

“When nine out of ten people who go to jail return to our community, we all have a vested interest in making sure that they do so successfully,” said Lee.  “The Clean Slate Summit is an example of how, working together, we can start to remove the barriers that prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from getting work, finding housing and rejoining our community.”

The Summit offered opportunities for low-income and homeless people in Alameda County who have unresolved legal issues or records.

For example, Judges held a special session “Dismissal Court” to hear the petitions of individuals seeking dismissals of prior convictions and related remedies aimed at “cleaning up” criminal records. 

Homeless and extremely low-income people had the opportunity to resolve current non-violent misdemeanor cases by working to obtain stable housing and achieve educational, employment, and health goals. 

Specialists from various public agencies, including the Department of Social Services and the Department of Motor Vehicles, were onsite to provide services including printouts of current records, information, and referrals.

Volunteer attorneys were available to conduct free, confidential, one-on-one legal consultations with individuals who face barriers to employment, education, and benefits because of their criminal records. 

The event also featured Know Your Rights Workshops, offered throughout the day, to provide information about cleaning up criminal records, housing (including tenants’ rights), and other legal matters.

The event was sponsored by Congresswoman Lee, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Alameda County Supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, the Alameda County Superior Court, Alameda County District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s Offices, All of Us Or None, and the East Bay Community Law Center.

Lee helped to organize the first annual event in April of 2005 after meeting with community organizations as part of an effort to examine ways to reduce recidivism by addressing the barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people.

Last year’s summit at Laney was by attended some 900 people. More than 80 attorneys from prestigious law firms volunteered and helped some 700 individuals.

As a result of these efforts, the processing of dismissal petitions for criminal records remedies has improved significantly.  For example, the District Attorney’s office has worked to improve process of both mandatory and discretionary dismissals, the Alameda County Court has updated forms to clarify the remedies available and held special court dates to hear cases in special Clean Slate Calendars.

Since last year’s summit, the East Bay Community Law Center has established a court-based Self-Help Center in Oakland where volunteer attorneys are available twice a week to provide free legal assistance.  The Self-Help Center based at Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland handles approximately 120 criminal records petitioners per week.  Since April, 2005, the Law Center has helped more than 2,100 people clean up their criminal records.

According to the Los Angeles Times, 95 percent of all incarcerated people – about 600,000 people per year nationwide – are released from jail.  Approximately 40,000 formerly incarcerated people return to serve probation or parole in Alameda County each year.   The difficulties these people face in finding work, acquiring stable housing, pursuing education and otherwise stabilizing their lives contribute to recidivism and act as a barrier to the economic and social development of the community.

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