CLS BLOG: Automated Sealing in Action
Mr. Amos has a criminal record. Even though the charges against him were dismissed, they still remained on his record and affected his ability to find work. Today, Mr. Amos’ record is sealed
Clean Slate: Changing Lives by Sealing Criminal Records
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Saving Your Home and Water Service Through TAP
A recent Pew Charitable Trusts article highlighted a growing problem across the country – overdue water bills causing the loss of a family home. In Philadelphia, getting behind on your water bills could mean losing your home through a Sheriff’s Sale – a public auction where the City sells your property to the highest bidder. That’s a…
Philadelphia Shows Steady Progress Collecting Property Taxes While Also Helping Homeowners
Philadelphia’s tax one-year non-collection rate hit a low of 3.9% in 2017, according to a report out in February from the Pew Research Center.[LINK]. This marked the third year in a row that the City has seen a decrease in the number of properties with uncollected taxes, outpacing similar cities with high poverty rates. According…
Get Ready, Get Set: PA Prepares for Clean Slate Implementation
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Spring is Coming: Here’s How to Keep Your Utilities On
Each year, residential Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and PECO customers are protected from utility shut offs by the winter moratorium. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal for utility companies to shut off services for low-income customers because of non-payment between December 1 and March 31. To be protected
Oppose the Presidential Administration’s Proposal to Take Food Away from 755,000 People
The Presidential Administration’s proposal would take food away from 755,000 people, including 90,000 Pennsylvanians.
Trauma Histories and the Impact on Parents Involved with DHS
We often talk about the various kinds of traumas experienced by children in the child welfare system –the traumas that they experienced as a result of whatever situation landed them in foster care in the first place, the trauma of removal from their parents, and the traumas that can happen all too often in foster care.
Report: Philadelphia Should Expand Its Kinship Care Program
We all know instinctively, and it is borne out in the research, that children do better with their families. Removal from home is a serious intervention into a child’s life, one of the most serious that our society allows. It should only happen for the most important reasons, to ensure a child is safe while…
Report: Legal Remedies and Limitations on the Employment of People with Criminal Records in Pennsylvania
Download the full report Like most Americans, people with criminal records need to be employed to support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, a criminal record is a barrier to being hired for a job, or once hired, keeping the job. High unemployment rates make finding employment even more difficult for persons with criminal records. …
