Free Help in Getting Your Criminal Record Sealed or Expunged

A criminal record can be a real hindrance in getting a job and a new life.  A lot of the "information" out there about getting your record expunged or sealed is confusing or wrong, and  the truth can vary from state to state.  For full information on record sealing in Ohio, see this document by the Ohio Re-Entry Coalition, which lays out all the facts in detail and provides copyable forms, with instructions and a checklist.  This is a state by state rundown from other parts of the country.


What many people don't know is that there is often free help to walk through the process and help you file in the right court, talking one on one with knowledgeable people to make sure you don't make legal mistakes and waste time and money. 

In the Toledo area, there are two free workshops that I know of.  One is on the first Friday of the month at the Lucas County Law Library, from 1-2 p.m. (on the corner of Jackson and Michigan in downtown Toledo).  Call ahead (419) 242-4363 to reserve a spot.  Another is Second Chance Tuesday, on the second Tuesday of each month at The Source, 1300 Monroe Street from 1-2 p.m.  For reservations, call

419-213-5627. 
If you want to find legal help in your hometown, try searching Google with the terms "expungement workshop" and the name of your town.  A problem with this is that sometimes they are done on a one-time only basis, or for a limited time.  But even if it's an event that passed, you have still identified an agency in your town that may have more information.  Here's another website with more information on help for ex-offenders,  from local organizations. 

Sources of Help for Ex-Cons

We’ve debunked the myth of the free Social Security money right out of prison for ex-offenders.
So what is out there for them? We keep hearing about all this aid, so where is that going? For one thing, it's going to state and local government agencies, and local not-for-profit groups that single out ex-offenders as clients that they serve (NOT individuals). What form the aid is taking is anybody's guess. It depends on what agency gets the money, and what they do with it.
Federal resources for ex-convicts can involve help in getting a job (including bonding, tax breaks for employers, the same student aid available to everybody, and counseling at career one-stop job places.).

How do you find this help? For ex-offenders, it means identifying agencies in their area that have received grant money from the government.

You need to contact those agencies to put you in touch with resources. Often, they are the same resources that are available to other people hurting in today’s economy. Sometimes, they may have some funds for use by ex-offenders only, but it will often come as a service rather than direct dollars. This is a website by the federal government that identifies state and local agencies involved in helping ex-offenders. It lists state and local groups and a listing of what they provide. Sometimes it simply lists the top agency (for instance, the state Department of Correction), and not the office below it that really provides the service (for instance, in Ohio, that would be the Reentry Office) . You may have to contact an agency to see what type of assistance is available. Do NOT assume it is a cash grant—it PROBABLY ISN’T.

Another good hunting ground is your local 211 information and referral website (if you have one). If they have an online website, look under "reentry" and ex-offender.

For ex-offenders in Ohio, try this website. It's the state office that helps ex-offenders. There is also a listing of help county-by-country, and includes great, detailed information on expungment and sealing of records for Ohio. The link is for filing in Hamilton County, but the state information on what can and can't be expunged or sealed is excellent.

***More goodness****From the Sentencing Project, a state-by-state overview of rights after a felony conviction, expungement and sealing, and non-discrimination against ex offenders.
More state and local resources for ex-offenders through the National Reentry Resource Center.