Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Equality Ohio Education Fund in support of record-sealing and re-entry activities through their legal clinic.
Equality Ohio serves individuals in the re-entry process through their legal clinic, including through record-sealing assistance and pointing eligible individuals to the Opportunity Port resource. Opportunity Port is an online tool that connects justice-involved persons in Franklin County with limited-scope legal service providers who assist with the record sealing and expungement application process.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this grant agreement is available within the Job Growth subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Equality Ohio Education Fund in support of their clinic and record sealing assistance activities; and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Job Growth subfund. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the existence of criminal records hinders the equitable growth and success of Columbus as a whole; and
WHEREAS, one in three American adults has a criminal record that will appear on a routine background check, the effect of which disproportionately impacts people of color and lower-income individuals; and
WHEREAS, according to a University of Michigan study, record sealing has been shown to increase an individual’s earnings by 25% along with other positive impacts; and
WHEREAS, Opportunity Port is an online tool that connects justice-involved persons with limited-scope legal service providers who assist with the record sealing and expungement application process; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Equality Ohio Education Fund in order to provide record sealing assistance and connect eligible individuals with the Opportunity Port program; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City C...
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