LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Getting a criminal record expunged can be expensive, but Goodwill Industries of Kentucky helped with that process Friday by sponsoring fees for more than 50 people.
Goodwill hosted an expungement clinic at their Opportunity Center on W. New Circle Road. They helped dozens of people begin the process to clear their record with free legal and financial help.
Goodwill employees say expungement can be tough and time-consuming to navigate and cost more than $600.
They say removing that barrier can change the course of someone's life by proving better opportunities from jobs to housing.
"A lot of times, if they have something on their record that is expungable, and they haven't done that, that will hold them up from moving on to a good future and to have a journey toward self-sufficiency," Jennifer Bergman with Goodwill said. "That one thing can really make a difference and stop them from making progress."
"Ultimately, our goal at Goodwill, our mission, is to help people that have disadvantages, or some sort of challenge or barrier, to get back in the workforce and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency," said Ben Haydon.
In 2022, Goodwill reports it helped expunge the records of around 2,500 people.
Goodwill is hosting additional clinics in other Kentucky cities. There are even virtual options. Click here for more information.
