A clinic that erases old low-level convictions could boost the NKY economy

The NAACP Northern Kentucky Branch ran a record cleaning clinic that could help the area’s economy, organizers said. The group matched lawyers with job and home seekers held back on their records by old, petty felonies and misdemeanor allegations.

The clinic in the basement of First Baptist Church became Dustin Sizemore’s Foundation of Hope.

“It can change my life,” Sizemore said.

When asked about the biggest challenge he faces, Sizemore said, “Just (people) look at me like I’m a criminal and like I’m among them.”

When he was 19, Sizemore stole money from Walmart while working for the store. Now, 11 years later, that crime remains his only conviction. It keeps him in dead-end jobs and struggling to find housing, he said.

“If even one background check is mentioned, I’m automatically discouraged,” Sizemore said. “For an apartment, if there is an application process, I automatically just walk away. I don’t even try because I know that with my background they will just look at me and dismiss me.”

Tara Johnson, who has three criminal convictions eligible for deletion, faces similar challenges.

“I can’t get a real job,” she said. “If I want to go voluntarily, I can’t volunteer. It stops many different things.”

Legal assistance from bluegrass attorneys helped both. The group sees an increasing need in Kentucky.

“We have a lot of people with minor misdemeanors that keep them from working,” said Preston Bell, an attorney with Legal Aid of the Bluegrass. “I think we also want our economy to thrive, and there are a lot of really talented people with these allegations that keep them from pursuing good jobs and thriving in careers that they might otherwise be successful in.”

In Kentucky, cancellation is available for certain minor charges that are at least five years old. It requires paperwork and up to $300 in fees. Legal aid helped clients with fee waivers and document completion.

In other states, such as Missouri, lawmakers are considering legislation to streamline the process.

“Our community needs options and options are needed for housing for employment purposes,” said Jerome Bowles, president of the NAACP Northern Kentucky Branch.