Ohio Justice & Policy Center urges expanded expungement and CQE use; offers pop-up legal clinics and full representation

Jane Adhanalian, senior attorney and director of the Second Chance Project at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC), told the Healthy Neighborhoods Committee on May 20 that the organization provides year‑round clinic services, pop‑up legal clinics with community partners, and full representation for people seeking record sealing, expungement, CQEs and other post‑conviction relief.

Adhanalian explained the difference between record sealing and the recently established statutory expungement pathway. “There is confusion in our community that record sealing and expungement are the same thing, but it's not,” she said, adding that expungement can provide a closer equivalent to record deletion for most members of the public while limited exceptions remain for law‑enforcement background checks.

Why it matters: OJPC told the committee that criminal records and collateral consequences create long‑term occupational and housing barriers that persist even after people complete sentences. The organization said many private background‑check vendors and some employer checks still surface sealed or outdated records, creating an additional burden for clients.

OJPC also highlighted the Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE), a statutory tool that can convert automatic disqualifications into discretionary hiring decisions. “It turns automatic disqualifications into discretionary ones,” said an OJPC staff member identified as Jeremy during the presentation. OJPC staff said CQEs do not force an employer to hire, but they limit negligent‑hiring exposure for employers who hire certified applicants.

Services and access: OJPC operates a centralized registration form on its website, offers in‑person and virtual intake, and conducts pop‑up clinics in trusted community locations (libraries, places of worship) at varying hours to reach people working nonstandard shifts. The group said it is the sole local provider for several state initiatives in the region, including the Safe Harbor expungement pathway for trafficking survivors and the governor's expedited pardon project.

Client demographics and needs presented to the committee included: roughly 20% of registrants reported current homelessness; 35% reported past domestic violence; 20% reported a disability; and 38% received SNAP. Adhanalian said many clients are ready and willing to work but face underemployment or automatic disqualifications from higher‑security or licensed positions.

OJPC asked for volunteer attorneys and more resources to scale year‑round services. Committee members and staff noted successful past pop‑up clinics with Hamilton County Library and the sheriff's office; the committee offered to help publicize future clinics and training for attorneys.

The presentation was accepted and filed by the committee without objection.