EXCLUSIVE: How One Expungement Organization Helped 65K+ People With Criminal Records—And Is Aiming For More

As part of a nationwide grassroots effort to improve social justice through legal relief, National Expungement Works (N.E.W.) released its inaugural Impact Report, highlighting its successful 2021 efforts to repair the harms of the criminal justice system through free legal and wraparound services for individuals with criminal records.

The Issue With Criminal Records

As Alicia Brown, director of development and benevolent partnerships at N.E.W., explained, "The mere existence of a criminal record – no matter the circumstances – has forced millions of mostly Black and brown Americans to face systemic racial discrimination, poverty and housing insecurity."

In fact, she continued, more than 48,000 material barriers exist for formerly incarcerated individuals upon release from prison or jail.

These obstacles often prevent over 70 million Americans who have an arrest or conviction on their record from finding employment, housing, being able to vote, pursuing higher education and loans, as well as other opportunities.

N.E.W. works to end this cycle by providing year-round programming such as legal relief, wraparound services and advocacy to alleviate the impact of these barriers.

NEW Horizons

On the heels of a challenging year, N.E.W.’s 2021 Impact Report outlines the progress made over the past year.

Highlights of the report include:

• Generated over $700 million in public benefit including increased wages, reduced public spending and other benefits in the next two years.
• Supported policy efforts that resulted in helping over 65,000 Americans begin the process to expunge or seal their records and held dozens of events across the country to provide wraparound services including legal relief, employment workshops, food and produce giveaways, health screenings, and voter registration.
• Supported Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in identifying nearly 66,000 cannabis convictions that will be dismissed as part of his ongoing efforts to reverse the injustices of drug laws.
• Hosted several successful events including annual Week of Action & Awareness (WOAA) featuring 21 events (virtual and in-person) across 10 cities with over 1,500 attendees
• Created N.E.W. Fellowship Program, partnering with non-profit organizations to create online platforms for resources, information and eligibility sessions that were provided to over 1,300 individuals in 19 cities across the country.

A Responsible Industry

"Staying true to the mission, 2021 was about tapping into our organizers because I know they do this healing work 24/7, with or without N.E.W. I challenged myself to get better with my actions with, for, and beside them," said LaTorie Marshall, N.E.W. founder. "2022 is the year we can kick our 5-year wealth plan up a notch with our fellowship program. From learning how to lobby in your community to becoming a building owner, we are the ones that heal and keep each other safe as we continue forward in our process for reforming systems that were built against us. It's my belief that if there is a presence of N.E.W. in your community, and you have been systemically impacted or affected, and you need a safe haven to release; come talk it out with us, it's on us."

Additionally, N.E.W. spotlighted key partnerships that lead to a successful year of achievements, including Canopy Growth Corporation CGC, a presenting sponsor since the organization's inception.

"The cannabis industry has a responsibility to equity-deserving communities, and at Canopy Growth, we are committed to this work through our investment in partnerships with community ​organizations such as N.E.W.,” said Hilary Black, chief advocacy officer at Canopy Growth. “As we evolve our social impact strategy with the support of our community partners, we continue to learn about the injustices faced by equity-deserving communities. This includes the difficulties faced by people impacted by the criminal justice system - including the potential for the accumulation of additional progressive charges. The comprehensive, wrap-around services, such as N.E.W.'s Brake Light Clinics, are a direct response to the barriers and experiences of justice-impacted communities."

Since 2018, N.E.W. has generated tangible results in the lives of over 65,000 people who have begun the expungement process. In addition, over 7,000 have received wrap-around services such as voter registration, job support, health screenings and assistance with housing and food insecurity. Some 950 people have had their fines reduced or cleared. 

N.E.W’s 2022, Brake Light Clinics will begin February 27 in Maryland at Autozone of 7755 Landover Rd, Hyattsville, MD 20785