In an effort to inform people impacted by the justice system of their rights, the Safer Foundation is conducting a series of webinars in partnership with the Women’s Justice Institute.
The webinars are designed to help people who are incarcerated and those with arrest and conviction records know their rights, their remedies and also help connect them to legal and reentry resources.
The Safer Foundation, headquartered in Chicago, also operates a Quad Cities office. Safer Foundation is one of the nation’s largest providers of employment support services for people with arrest and conviction records.
The webinar series also is sponsored by the Illinois Access to Justice Program, which works to alleviate the devastating consequences of incarceration and family separation.
January webinars
The webinars scheduled include:
Wednesday, Jan. 17 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. This session focuses on criminal records relief such as sealing and expungement (including automatic expungement thanks to Illinois’ new adult use cannabis law), certificates of good conduct, healthcare worker waivers, and clemency. Voting protections and the U.S. Census also will be covered. Register here.
Friday, Jan. 19 – Employment Occupational Licensing and Education, noon to 1 p.m. This webinar will cover local, state and federal legal protections in the search for employment for people with arrest and conviction records. It also will help guide participants through the occupational licensing application process in Illinois (more than 25% of occupations now require an occupational license). It also will cover a person’s ability to access federal financial aid and higher education. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 22 – Housing and Driver’s Licenses, noon to 1 p.m. This session will cover the numerous housing protections that people with arrest and conviction records have at the federal, state and local levels. Also learn about protections for people seeking housing in the federally subsidized [public] housing market and in the private housing market. It also will cover new laws designed to help people retain their driver’s licenses. Register here.
Wednesday, Jan. 24 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Friday, Jan. 26 – Family Matters: Impact of Parental Incarceration, noon to 1 p.m. This session will cover statistics surrounding mass incarceration, the importance of parent-child connections, and options for child visitation when a parent is incarcerated. It will review the process for requesting permission to visit a loved one in prison when you have a past felony conviction or pending criminal case. It also will cover the different types of guardianship in Illinois, including short-term, court-ordered, and stand-by guardianship and how guardianship can be useful when a parent faces immigration or warrant issues. Register here.
Wednesday, Jan. 31 – Housing and Driver’s Licenses, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
February webinars
Wednesday, Feb. 7 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Friday, Feb. 9 – Housing and Driver’s Licenses, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 14 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Friday, Feb. 16 – Housing and Driver’s Licenses, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 21 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Friday, Feb. 23 – Housing and Driver’s Licenses, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 28 – Civic Engagement and Criminal Records Relief, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
