Mayor Linda Gorto, City of Lexington | City of Lexington website
Mayor Linda Gorto, City of Lexington | City of Lexington website
Mayor Linda Gorton and community partners have announced the upcoming Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinic and Job Fair. Scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, at Central Bank Center, the event aims to help residents expunge qualifying misdemeanors and felonies from their criminal records.
“Our Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinics have given a second chance to many people in our community,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “These clinics help our residents expunge their records from low-level, non-violent offenses. They can also obtain basic resources, and open doors to new opportunities.” Expungement is seen as a way to remove barriers related to voting, employment, education, and housing.
Since its inception in April 2022, the initiative has provided over 1300 individuals with expungement-related services. Tiffany Brown, the City’s Equity and Implementation Officer who coordinates these events, emphasized the importance of this process: “The expungement process not only clears a person’s record but also restores dignity and hope. It is a chance to move beyond mistakes of the past.”
Aretha Fisher shared her experience benefiting from these clinics: “After finding out about the expungement clinic... I had multiple charges removed from my record within a year’s time. Since my expungement, I have completed school to be a state registered nurse aide.”
In Kentucky, recent legislative changes have expanded eligibility for expungements to include more low-level offenses. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass Executive Director Robert Johns expressed enthusiasm for participating in the event: “We are committed to empowering people and helping them reclaim their futures by providing access to expungement services.”
Christi Sorrell from the Kentucky Department of Corrections noted their involvement: “It is a privilege for the Kentucky Department of Corrections to come alongside the city of Lexington... The Beshear-Coleman administration has recorded the three lowest recidivism rates in over a decade.”
The job fair will feature employers conducting interviews on-site along with workforce programs like WORK-Lexington and Kentucky Career Center. Amy Glasscock highlighted employer participation: “This year we have partnered with a diverse array of employers who understand that a person’s past does not define their future.”
Participation requires registration and background checks. The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., October 30 at Central Bank Center.
Alerts Sign-up