Guest Post by Julie Randolph, Head of Outreach and Instructional Services at Temple Law Library 

Roughly one out of every three working-age Americans has a criminal record. These records have lasting repercussions: most employers use criminal background checks, and a criminal record nearly halves the chance someone will receive a callback or job offer. Criminal convictions can also affect a person’s ability to find housing, vote, and receive mortgages or bank loans. As a result, people who have completed their sentences still find themselves held back by their criminal record. 

By removing convictions from an individual’s record, pardons provide a chance to surmount these obstacles. Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity started the Pardon Project in 2011 to help individuals with convictions receive pardons, a process simplified by the 2019 start of the Pennsylvania Board of Parole’s Expedited Review Program. Through the Pardon project, pardon coaches (individuals, including students, who have received a short training) can help people with convictions navigate the pardon process. 

Today the Pardon Project has expanded to dozens of Pennsylvania counties, and, since 2019, more than 80% of pardon applicants received a hearing, but many people still don’t know that pardons are available or how to start the pardon process. To highlight this important issue and how to get involved, on February 27, Charles Library will host a screening of the short documentary, Pardon Me, followed by a panel discussion. Further details of the event are below. 

Pardon Me is a documentary film by Philadelphia filmmaker Shuja Moore that shows how pardons offer the potential to live as full citizens and how they uplift entire communities. The film features the stories of two people going through the pardon process and includes interviews with key civic leaders. By showcasing the transformative potential of pardons, Pardon Me sheds light on the importance of addressing the long-lasting impacts of criminal records and the need for a final release from the criminal justice system.  Register here.

Join us for a film screening and panel discussion with:  

• Shuja Moore, Pardon Me director, producer  
• A PA pardon recipient  
• Associate Professor of Political Science, Nyron N. Crawford, Temple University College of Liberal Arts  
• Shelby Dolch, Temple Law student and past Systemic Justice Project participant 
• Tobey Oxholm, Director, The Pardon Project  
• Moderator: Shanda Sibley, Assistant Clinical Professor, Temple University Beasley School of Law; Director, Systemic Justice Clinic, Sheller Center for Social Justice 

Join the Pardon Project PA mailing list, volunteer, and learn how to help: https://pardonmepa.org/how-to-help/  

Co-sponsored by Temple University Libraries, Department of Criminal Justice, Department of Political Science, Temple University Public Policy Lab, Beasley School of Law, and Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity.