Workers
Helping America’s workforce find safety, stability and resilience
How Legal Aid Helps Workers Move Forward
1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record.
More and more, states are recognizing the need to give people a fresh start — but the laws vary greatly from one place to another, and the process can be lengthy and complex. Civil legal services help people navigate the complex legal web of record clearing, paving the way for a stronger and more stable future.
Record clearing is just one way civil legal services help strengthen America’s workforce.
LSC-funded legal aid also helps people recover unpaid wages, access unemployment and other benefits they have earned and address legal problems that can threaten their employment and financial stability.
Creating Opportunity
A vast majority of Americans eligible to have their records sealed or expunged do not apply. Those who do see many benefits, including:
Increased employment and career opportunities
Improved housing and financial opportunities
Lower rates of recidivism
The "Blessing" of a Fresh Start
Graham Taylor is a former drug addict. While Graham never had any violent offenses, he did have felonies that were keeping him from getting good-paying jobs to support himself and his wife. With the help of LSC-funded legal services, Graham was able to seal his prior record and get a second chance at life.
Legal Services Fulfill a Critical Need
1 in 3
Americans have a criminal record.
90%
Of Americans eligible to have their records sealed or expunged do not apply.
160% Increase
in criminal expungement cases reported by LSC grantees since 2017.
LSC’s Commitment to Workforce Development
For years, LSC has supported expungement and record-clearing work through programs like our Technology Initiative Grants and Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants. One thing we’ve learned is that the laws governing this work vary greatly from one state — and jurisdiction — to another.