By Todd Wineburner

For people with criminal records, housing and employment can be difficult to obtain but a new program through Prairie State Legal Services is hoping to change that. The Criminal Record Relief Program can get records sealed or expunged for individuals who, generally speaking, have been incident-free for a period of years since their conviction. Adrian Barr, Managing Attorney for PSLS, says the program helps qualified individuals fully integrate into a community. “We want people in Livingston County to be fully employed,” Barr says. “We want them to be able to support themselves, pay taxes, (and) just be a valuable part of the community.”

Records for some offenses cannot be sealed or expunged, including domestic battery, violating an order of protection, animal offenses, and DUI. Many other crimes can be addressed if appropriate conditions are met. More information on the program is available by calling Prairie State Legal Services at (309) 827-5021, extension 0. For WJEZ’s complete conversation with representatives of Prairie State Legal Services, visit the podcasts page at WJEZ.com.