We All Deserve a Second Chance: A Message from Expungement Help Desk Manager Julie Mennel

Julie Mennel

Several times a day I find myself saying, “We’ve all made mistakes; it just looks a little different from one person to another and doesn’t always become public knowledge.” So many people are burdened by poor decisions from years ago, decisions often driven by addiction, poor examples, generational poverty, or being “young and dumb.” They enter the doors for our Expungement Help Desk in the basement of the City County Building expecting to be judged yet again, to be told they don’t qualify for expungement, or to be told that, if they do, it’s going to be costly to make it happen. It is such a joy to dispel the misconception that getting an expungement is too good to be true. Oftentimes, I even get to help these visitors make the “second chance” espoused by the statute become a reality. That reality means a better job, housing in a safer neighborhood, professional certification, going on a field trip with their children, and so much more.

This year has brought welcome challenges as the Expungement Help Desk’s volume has ramped up dramatically. We’re thankful to our partners and previous visitors for making others aware of our existence. Our ability to meet this challenge has been largely facilitated by funders who have come alongside the Help Desk, allowing us to employ a temporary, part-time staff team that is supplemented by volunteers eager to be a part of this important work. We become family working side-by-side to encourage, educate, and facilitate the next steps for our visitors—steps that open up a whole new world of possibilities. These actions change us for the better too as we are inspired by their stories.

Even with our currently altered means of operating, we have prepared nearly 400 people to file for expungement since the beginning of the year—with many more being equipped with information and next steps.

The reality right now is that a lot of people are losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic. They will be hard-pressed to find new employment with blemishes on their record that were either non-existent previously or perhaps overlooked. We are grateful to have the continued opportunity to be a piece of the puzzle as these individuals seek to overcome obstacles from their pasts in order to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.

We think of the work of the Expungement Help Desk as a tangible demonstration of God’s grace in each of our lives. These are uncertain times to be sure and what a privilege it is to come alongside our neighbors, pointing them to the hope we have in Christ Jesus while doing the work with which He has entrusted us. To Him be the glory!

To access the Help Desk at this time, please call 877-236-0730 ext. 2.

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