Records Can Too.

Resources for New Pardon Projects

This page is for counties that do not currently have a Pardon Project but are thinking about starting one. It begins with a few videos – first, offering several examples of successful Pardon Projects, discussing how they have organized themselves and are getting the work done; then, the next few, offering deeper dives into particular aspects of their work. It then offers examples below of how you can go from idea to operation, in the following categories:

• Informational Flyers
• Video Library
• Getting Started
• Developing the Project
• Outreach
• Training Pardon Coaches
• Making the Project Sustainable

The examples come from the counties that have gone through that process – Erie, Beaver, Allegheny, Washington, Berks, Lancaster, Lackawanna and Philadelphia.  Every county is unique – in its interests, and in its resources – so there is no cookie-cutter that can be used. But every project needs to address the same questions:  who are we going to serve, how are we going to reach them, who will be willing to help them, and how can we make it as easy as possible for our volunteers, Pardon Hubs (organizations) and Pardon Coaches (individuals).  These materials should help define, and address, those questions. Most Pardon Projects have started off small, with a dozen or so Pardon Coaches trained and an equal number of clients needing help. They then expand from there, as the word starts getting around and the supply of both clients and coaches increases.  Each Pardon Project continues to develop, learning from their own experiences and those of the others, as their leadership meet monthly as the Pennsylvania Association of Pardon Projects.  For attorneys who volunteer through member Pardon Projects, the Association offers free, primary professional liability insurance.

Informational Flyers

• You CAN Vote!
• Pardons and Record-Clearing as a new service
• Expungements and Clean-Slate Sealing
• Pardons in PA
• Pardon Suitability
• Pardon Process

Video Library

• Case Study:  Pardon Project of Beaver County – An efficient team linking intake, the DA and the Clerk of Courts (20 mins)
• Case Study:  Pardon Project of Berks County – A county initiative, attached to Pretrial Services (20 mins)
• Case Study:  Pardon Project of Centre County  – Begun as a law school clinic, now going countywide (20 mins)
• Pardon Fellows: How Part-Time Service From People With Lived Experience Helps Pardon Projects Succeed  (20 mins)
• Reflections of Student Pardon Coaches – undergrads and law students (30 mins)
• A Law Student’s Experience as a Pardon Coach  (5 mins)
• Pardon Coach Training – for lawyers and non-lawyers (60 mins)
• Outreach Events – Examples from Lehigh, Westmoreland and Berks Counties (49 mins)

Getting Started

• Background:  articles, reports, and videos about the damage caused by criminal history records and the benefits to everyone of erasing them
• Invitation to exploratory meeting – Washington County
• Agenda for first meeting – Washington County
• List of invitees/participants – Allegheny County
• Powerpoint from Brainstorming Meeting – Berks County
• Notes and action items from first brainstorming meeting – Lackawanna County

Developing The Project

• Agenda for second meeting – Beaver County
• The role of the District Attorney in Pardon Projects – PLSE
• Using Undergrad and Graduate Students  – short video of students discussing their experiences
• Eligibility Criteria – PLSE Volunteer Program, Erie County and Berks County
• Intake Questionnaire – York County
• Pardon Project Assistance Accept and Reject letters – Beaver County
• Court Prothonotary Policy on providing underlying criminal records for use in pardon applications – Wayne County
• Involving the Court – “Pardons for Prothys” hosted by The Pennsylvania State Association of The Prothonotaries and Clerks of Court – November 2021 (60-minute zoom) 
• “The Court Clerks’ Critical Role in the Pennsylvania Pardon Process: A Continuing Education Program For Court Staff Responsible for Court Records” –May 2023 (program outline and materials)
• Pardon Project Flow Chart – York County

Outreach to Potential Clients and Client-Serving Community 

• Community Events – Examples from Lehigh, Westmoreland and Berks Counties
• Pardon Project Flow Chart: From Intake to Submission of the Application – York County
• Flyer announcing a Community Event focused on criminal records – Lehigh County
• Voter registration flyers confirming the right to vote in Pennsylvania – WORD versions
• Notice to clients – North Penn Legal Services/Lackawanna County
• Informational flyers for potential clients – Lackawanna and Beaver Counties  – and a flyer using a QR code – Centre County
• Community Informational Meeting Outline:  Lackawanna and Erie Counties
• Community Presentation, – Erie County, August 2021 (90-minute zoom)
• Pardons in PA: Overview for Community Leaders, Redeemer Renaissance CDC – Philadelphia County January 2022 (60-minute zoom)

Training Pardon Coaches

• Training Volunteers for a Community Pardon Clinic
• Invitation to Pardon Coach training (non-lawyer) –  Lackawanna County
• Bar Association CLE Announcements/Flyers – Allegheny, Berks, and Erie Counties
• Pardon Coach Training – Berks County, October 2021 (60-minute zoom)

Making The Project Sustainable

• Policies and Procedures for Clerk of Courts responding to record requests – Beaver County
• Requests for Underlying Criminal Court Records (Attorney and Non-Attorney) – Erie County
• Client Authorization to Obtain Copies of Underlying Criminal Records – PLSE 
• Position description, Pardon Fellow – Lancaster County
• Six-month report from a Pardon Fellow – Washington County  (funded by the American Bar Endowment)
• Application for funding Pardon Project Coordinator – Beaver County 
• Presentation to county Criminal Justice Advisory Board – Centre County (powerpoint)