Rockford Sun

Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is hosting the 2022 Second Chances Summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 20 in the Nordlof Center in downtown Rockford.

“Many well-meaning men and women in our community find that a past transgression, often from their youth, prevents them from obtaining living-wage employment and adequately supporting themselves and their families,” Stadelman wrote on Facebook. “Illinois law allows people who meet certain criteria to seek judicial relief, and we all benefit as a result.”

Attendees can meet with a free attorney during the event to learn about possibly expunging their records.

Individuals can sign up for the summit through Google Forum.

Stadelman told WIFR the free event can help people with criminal records.

“Say they got in trouble with the law when they were a teenager, or a young adult,” he said to WIFR. “And that has really prevented them from obtaining living wage.”

Dady Law, Hampilos & Associates, the Rockford Public Library, United Way of Rock River Valley, and Goodwill are sponsoring the event.

In 2018 and 2019, nearly 250 people met with volunteer attorneys one-on-one. The pandemic called off the 2020 and 2021 events, but it’s back, after multiple requests from constituents.

“Having a criminal record can have a far-reaching impact, even restricting a parent’s ability to fully participate in their child’s life," Wendy Crouch, pro-bono coordinator for the Prairie State Legal Services, said in Stadelman’s Facebook post. “Prairie State Legal Services is excited to again partner with Senator Stadelman to help all those who are eligible to clear their records and move forward."

For more information, call 815-987-7557.

“One thing I hear over and over again as I go through the paperwork with clients is the phrase, that’s what I was like then, but that is not what I’m like now,” Prairie State Legal Services Attorney David Black said to WIFR.