Title
To Celebrate the Second Year Anniversary of Opportunity Port
Body
WHEREAS, Opportunity Port is a record sealing and expungement application assistance program managed by The Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center aimed at removing barriers to record relief and improving opportunities for justice involved residents of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, an estimated 1 in 3 Ohio residents has a criminal record and the collateral consequences stemming from criminal records present significant economic and social barriers to resources and opportunities such as housing, employment, education, and professional licensing; and
WHEREAS, people of color are disproportionately impacted by criminal records as a result of systemic racism, the consequences of which contribute significantly to racial inequity; and
WHEREAS, research from the University of Michigan has shown that record sealing improves earnings and lowers the chance of re-arrest; and
WHEREAS, Opportunity Port began as a Columbus City Council criminal justice initiative, was awarded funding by Schmidt Futures, and moved to the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center in July 2021 where it continued to develop; and
WHEREAS, Opportunity Port’s legal service providers are the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Equality Ohio, and the Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center, who together assisted 527 Columbus residents with completing and filing record sealing and expungement applications to Franklin County courts; and
WHEREAS, Opportunity Port continues to build on its success and has recently launched services statewide to provide record sealing and expungement application assistance to all justice involved residents of Ohio who are seeking relief from their criminal record; and
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council celebrates the two year anniversary of Opportunity Port.