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Re-Entry Legal Services
Are You Formerly Incarcerated and Need Legal Assistance? We Can Help!
Here is How:
Attend Our Re-Entry Legal Clinics
If you have been incarcerated at least 2 months or are currently on supervision in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, we will have attorneys ready to meet with you and help with: child support, traffic tickets, driver’s licenses, TWIC appeals/denials, consumer debt.
Allow Our Attorneys to Represent You
If you are currently on supervision for a felony, live in Orleans Parish, and have returned home from incarceration in the last 6 months you may be eligible for JAC representation. You must also enroll with Goodwill Industries for case management and employment services. If your issue is traffic tickets from before you were incarcerated, JAC attorneys may be able to help you through the Reentry Docket (RED) in Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court.
Attend our Expungement Clinic
If you are trying to have your record sealed from public view, bring your court paperwork (this is your expungement packet from Orleans Criminal District Court OR your bill of information and sentencing minutes from other courts). Screening is first-come, first-served based on our volunteer attorneys. There are no early sign ups or appointments.
Fair Chance Hiring
Act 406
The Louisiana Fair Chance Hiring Act (Act 406), effective August 1, 2021, restricts employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history on initial job applications. The Act aims to improve job opportunities for individuals with criminal records by delaying such inquiries until later in the hiring process. It applies to state employers, excluding certain positions like those in law enforcement. This "ban-the-box" law helps reduce employment barriers, enabling candidates to be judged first on their qualifications rather than their past. Exceptions exist for positions where criminal history is a legitimate disqualification.
Act 406: Three Obligations for Employers Considering Criminal History
The Louisiana Fair Chance Hiring Act lays out three important obligations for those who consider criminal history when making hiring decisions.
1. The law explicitly states that employers cannot request or consider arrests or charges that did not result in a conviction. This protects individuals from being unfairly judged based on unproven allegations.
2. Employers must conduct an "individual assessment" to determine if a candidate's criminal history directly relates to the specific duties of the position at hand. This assessment must take into account factors outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which promotes fairness in hiring decisions.
3. Act 406 mandates that employers provide candidates with copies of their background check reports upon written request. This applies regardless of whether the candidate is ultimately hired or not, ensuring transparency in the hiring process.
Stay informed and compliant with Act 406 – it's crucial for fair and just hiring practices.
JAC's RE-ENTRY & COLLABORATIVE LAWYERING PROJECTS
JAC provides civil legal services to formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. For help with a legal issue, please attend our next Reentry Legal Clinic. Legal Clinics are posted on our events calendar and advertised through social media as they are scheduled. Submit your email below to get updates on when our next legal clinics are scheduled.
JAC Re-Entry Story Project
Have you wanted the public to know your story of reentry? Some of the difficulties you have faced? The success you have managed? Do you have a suggestion on how the criminal justice system could work better for public safety and reentry? JAC focuses on learning more about our criminal justice system from experts and advocates. JAC WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU, please send your story to us at info@jaclouisiana.org .
