During a press conference Nov. 1 at City Hall, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert announced the Restoration Initiative for Safety and Employment (RISE), which will provide free assistance to those who are eligible to seal their low-level misdemeanor or felony records, clear a minor warrant, enroll in court-diversion programs and convert court fines to community service.
RISE will also include marijuana expungements– a court-ordered process in which the legal record of an arrest or a criminal conviction is erased– and assist with finding employment, educational opportunities and providing other benefits, city officials announced during the conference.
“The consequences of a criminal conviction can extend long after a person has completed his or her sentence and can affect a person’s employment, access to government benefits and other forms of participation in civic life,” Garcia told attendees. “This innovative program will provide an avenue for justice-involved individuals to get their lives back on track.”
On Sept. 4, the Long Beach City Council authorized $200,000 to assist with misdemeanor expungements in an effort to help people reenter the workforce.
The City will host four RISE workshops, starting in January 2019, when individuals can receive in-person assistance from attorneys.
The City will also provide year-round assistance to those with cases handled by the city prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction over all adult misdemeanor cases in the city, including theft, vandalism, drug possession, public intoxication, driving on a suspended license and violation of city codes, officials said.
“Our office looks forward to partnering with local public and private organizations, such as the Long Beach Bar Association, the Long Beach Ministers Alliance and the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office to provide assistance to eligible participants of the RISE program,” Haubert said at the event. “Helping Long Beach residents looking to improve themselves and gain employment can only make our neighborhoods safer.”
Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey commended the program’s announcement during the conference.
“This program provides an excellent opportunity for prosecutors, police and others involved in the criminal-justice system to assist people in clearing low-level criminal matters from their records, so they may change their lives through employment and education,” she said.
The City wrote in a press release after the conference that the assistance via RISE will be free of charge for qualified participants. Officials did add that some assistance will be limited to those with cases in Los Angeles County or within the jurisdiction of the city prosecutor’s office.
Residents with specific questions about their cases may still need to consult their own attorneys, officials wrote in the press release.
For more information about the RISE program, email RISE@longbeach.gov or visit cityprosecutordoughaubert.com.
