A few months in prison can quickly turn into a lifetime of trouble. When people get out, landlords sometimes refuse to rent them a home, neighbors often shame them, and potential employers may decline them even an interview.
“You have to find places that are felon friendly, and that’s not always easy to do,” Maureen Cain of the Colorado Criminal Defense Institute told The Colorado Independent.
That’s why Colorado Criminal Defense Institute, the nonprofit arm of the professional organization for defense attorneys, is launching 17 free legal clinics across the state for people who served time in prison or were arrested and want to seal or expunge their records.
The clinics are designed both for people who have recently been released and also people who have been free for decades.
While most felonies are not allowed to be taken off a person’s record, drug offenses are. So are juvenile offenses, some misdemeanors and arrests without charges. But the process is expensive, Cain said, and many can’t afford to hire a lawyer and negotiate the bureaucracy.
For Coloradans interested in accessing these services, the first clinic takes place Saturday in Denver. Below is a schedule of future workshops statewide.
Denver Clinic – Saturday, September 12, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 1560 Broadway, #300, Denver, CO 80202
Colorado Springs Clinic –Saturday, October 3, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 19 N. Tejon St, Suite 105, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Arapahoe County Clinic- Saturday, October 10, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 12350 East Arapahoe Road, Suite A, Centennial, CO 80112
Pueblo Clinic – Saturday, October 31, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, Union Depot, 132 West “B” Street, #200, Pueblo, CO 81003
Brighton Clinic – Saturday, November 14, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office 4710 East Bromley Lane, Brighton, CO 80601
Fort Collins Clinic– Saturday, November 21, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
1 Old Town Square, #300, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Golden Clinic – Saturday, December 12, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 560 Golden Ridge Road, #100, Golden, CO 80401
Greeley Clinic -Saturday, January 16, 2016, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 822 7th St., Suite 300, Greeley, CO 80631
Douglas County Clinic – Saturday, January 30, 2016, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, Elk Crossing Business Center, 1161 South Perry Street Suite 200, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Boulder Clinic – Saturday, February 13, 2016, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 2555 55th Street Suite. D-200, Boulder, CO 80301
Denver Clinic – Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 1560 Broadway, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202
Sterling Clinic – Saturday, March 12, 2016 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 214 S. 3rd Street, Sterling, CO 80751
Steamboat Springs Clinic – Saturday, March 26, 2016 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 1955 Bridge Lane, Suite 2100, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Summit County Clinic – Saturday, April 16, 2016, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 114 Village Place, #101, Dillon, CO 80435
Aurora Clinic – Saturday, April 23, 2016, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Aurora Strong Resilience Center, 1298 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO 80011
Glenwood Springs Clinic – Saturday, May 21, 2016, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 311-1/2 8th Street, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE.
Grand Junction Clinic– Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Public Defender’s Office, 114 North Spruce St., Suite 300, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501
Photo credit: Martin Fisch, Creative Commons, Flickr.
I went to the clinic in Pueblo on the 31st of October & I must say it was rather disturbing. Our judicial system is in need of a serious overhaul. My charge is over 15yrs ago, non-violent, but I cannot get any help even though I have stayed out of trouble and have done positive things to better my life (bachelors degree). However, it seems to me like that clinic was set up to help sexual offenders. I was surrounded by sexual predators complaining about how difficult their life is. It was quite disturbing to think we want to make the sexual predators life easier, but can’t help an individual who made some poor choices earlier in life, but has made the steps to turn around their life! 719-565-9841, call if you’d like to hear more.