With a grant, Moran Center will help more Evanston residents expunge, seal criminal records.

Access to Justice, a statewide program that seeks to mitigate the devastating consequences of incarceration and family separation, has granted $25,000 to the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy. The funds will support and enhance the organization's Expungement and Sealing Help Desk at the Skokie Courthouse.

“The Moran Center works to dismantle the destructive pipelines to dysfunctional institutions that impact people of color and families in poverty,” Patrick Keenan-Devlin, executive director of the Moran Center said. “With this grant, we will ensure more people have access to clear their criminal backgrounds, unlocking the door to a better and more productive future.”

The Moran Center was one of 60 non-profit organizations selected as a recipient of the Access to Justice Grant Program.

With recent legislation expanding the range of offenses eligible for sealing, the Moran Center has seen a 15 percent increase in requests for assistance at the Help Desk. The Help Desk is open two mornings a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Skokie Courthouse.

THIS is restorative justice at work.

If you would like more information about how to have your records expunged or sealed, call the Moran Center at 847.492.1410 and ask to speak with Tom Verdun, director of legal services. Or email him at tverdun@moran-center.org