by JS Department
The San José State University (SJSU) Record Clearance Project (RCP) engages undergraduates in assisting eligible people to clear their criminal records. Begun in January 2008, each semester the work culminates in a court hearing where a judge considers the petitions that SJSU undergraduates prepare on behalf of their clients.
An article by Lena Ramalho, which appeared in the Metro this past Wednesday, highlighted the transformative work done in the RCP. The article can be found here:
http://www.sanjose.com/news/2012/11/21/record_clearance_project_at_san_jose_state ; PDF version of this cool story can be found here: (see p. 8): http://issuu.com/metrosiliconvalley/docs/1247_mt/8?mode=a_p
The program is driven by San Jose State students and helps clients in the justice system correct and/or expunge criminal records. The RCP is advised and organized by a dynamic team of professional lawyers, academics, students, ad community volunteers including Margaret (Peggy) Stevenson, JD, RCP Director; Hal Peterson, JD, who practiced law for 15 years in Michigan and then Washington; Mark Correia, Ph.D., Chair of the Justice Studies Department, an Associate Professor, and an expert in police and community relations; and Danielle A. Harris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Justice Studies and an expert on sex offenders, contemporary problems in justice studies, and justice evaluation and policy analysis.
RCP Director Stevenson has noted that students have helped 151 clients file petitions in court to expunge criminal records or have felonies reduced to misdemeanors. In the past year, 133 petitions have been filed on behalf of 52 clients. These are important steps in integrating community oversight into the justice system to ensure that all persons receive fair and equitable treatment including 
sentencing, parole, probation, and record keeping.
Reflecting on her experiences an RCP student stated, “We go through every step with the client. We write the petitions, meet with the lawyer. We’re there with them in the courtroom. When everything is done and they come back to us and say, ‘You changed my life,’ I’m amazed. I can’t believe I changed someone’s life.”
The RCP is a strong advertisement for metropolitan-university community engagement; the integration of SJSU justice studies students into this community project results in transformations for all parties involved. Here students are engaged in the righteous work of social justice and the active building of equity back into the justice system.
More information about the program can be found here: http://justicestudies.sjsu.edu/research/record-clearance-project/
Information about the SJSU Justice Studies Department can be found here: http://justicestudies.sjsu.edu/
CONTACT THE RCP
Please contact the SJSU Record Clearance Project at sjsurcp@gmail.com or leave a message at (408) 924-2758.
Twitter: @sjsurcp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Record-Clearance-Project/217577251599493