“Project R: Restoring Rights, Repairing Records and Rebuilding Hope” is a community initiative hosted by Three Rivers Legal Services Inc. and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Inc.
These legal services providers work with voluntary Bar associations and private attorneys to assist ex-offenders with restoring their civil rights, as well as sealing or expunging convictions.
The program mainly seeks to help individuals with past convictions move forward with their lives by removing barriers that hinder them from obtaining sound employment, housing and exercising their right to vote.
The program launched in October 2013 during Three Rivers Legal Services Inc.’s Celebrate Pro Bono Week.
In 2014, the program expanded to host quarterly educational workshops where volunteer attorneys provided attendees with information on the rules, requirements and procedural aspects of seeking clemency and removing a conviction from their record.
Project R still continues to thrive in 2015. Pro Bono Directors Chardea Murray and Kathy Para have enhanced it to provide pro se assistance, where the volunteer attorneys now assist individuals with notarizing applications, preparing applications and drafting court pleadings.
During the last 4th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee meeting, chaired by Judge Hugh A. Carithers, Murray and Para discussed the Project R developments. Chief Assistant Public Defender Refik Eler offered to help staff the clinic with his team of attorneys at the Public Defender’s Office.
“The people we’re assisting sincerely want to move ahead with positive, productive employment. If we’re able to assist them in accomplishing that goal we all benefit. It’s really our pleasure to be part of this effort,” Eler said.
He made good on his word.
Eler not only participated as a volunteer attorney, but he also solicited the help of seven attorneys from the Public Defender’s Office: Felony Court Unit Director Fred Gazaleh, retired Judge McCarthy Crenshaw, Loren Hevesi, Zachary Altenbach, Austen Kane, Art Stresing and Frank Mackoul.
These seven individuals served as pro bono lawyers for the most recent Sealing and Expungement Pro Se Clinic on July 29.
Three Rivers and JALA sincerely thank the 4th Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender for graciously donating their time and services to Project R.
If you are interested in volunteering with the next Project R: Restoration of Civil Rights Pro Se Clinic, scheduled 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Three Rivers Legal Services Inc., contact the pro bono coordinators at [email protected] or [email protected] to learn more about volunteering.