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An organization known as National Expungement Week is seeking donations and support to help people seal certain criminal records.

About National Expungement Week

National Expungement Week (NEW) was founded in 2018. It was created to raise awareness about “expungement relief and wrap-around services to communities affected by the War on Drugs.” NEW advocates for the automatic expungement of criminal records and more investment in marginalized communities.

They got started by offering free legal advice to people with criminal histories. Individuals who have convictions, even for minor or outdated offenses, often experience difficulties when looking for employment, housing and other opportunities. Over time, the group has grown and now has a national presence. NEW hosted more than 40 events in 2019.

The Marijuana Industry

While NEW is not “cannabis specific”, they are associated with Cage Free Repair (CFR), a group that advocates for an “an equitable, just, and reparative cannabis industry.” CFR offers services such as:
• Helping people who were incarcerated to re-enter society.
• Youth development.
• Community-based gang intervention.
• Creating cannabis-related businesses that hire, empower, and include communities of color.

NEW and Cage Free Repair continue to help people get their criminal records expunged during the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this, they launched an initiative known as Show Your Love.

2020 Goals

The Show Your Love project asks individuals and businesses to make donations. They hope to raise $50,000 by September 26, 2020. Their stated goal for this is to help “restore rights and reach more people with our message of EQUITY, JUSTICE, and REPAIR.”

According to an article in an online pro-marijuana publication, NEW will proceed with their third annual Expungement Week event. That will occur from September 19 – 26, 2020. Funds raised via the Show Your Love campaign will help make this happen. The article encouraged donations and noted that even though several states have legalized medical and recreational marijuana, millions of people have cannabis-related convictions and charges that result in ongoing consequences.

What Employers Should Know About Expungement

When a conviction is expunged, it is no longer publicly available. These records can only be accessed by law enforcement and certain government agencies. Therefore, employers cannot consider them when hiring, promoting or making other business decisions.

Running Background Checks

Background checks help employers find quality hires. They show employers if a candidate has the necessary qualifications, including employment and education history, or holds a required license. These reports can also include information about serious criminal convictions that help employers protect their staff, customers and the public.

Backgrounds Online provides background screening solutions that are compliant with federal and state laws. If a criminal record has been expunged, it will not be included on a report we produce. This bolsters our client’s compliance efforts and prevents undue adverse actions.

If your organization needs background checks for candidates, employees, volunteers or contractors, please contact us. Our experienced team can assist with all of your screening needs. We’re available Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.