1. Katie Scott, Esq.
Director of Pro Bono Programs

2.  HPRP's mission is to end homelessness in
Maryland by providing free legal services
for low-income persons who are homeless
or at risk of homelessness.
 Legal services includes advice, counsel,
education, representation and advocacy.

3.  Housing Preservation Project
HPRP attorneys and volunteers represent tenants of federally
subsidized housing in court evictions proceedings and in
administrative hearings with the Housing Authority of Baltimore
City to prevent homelessness. For persons already homeless,
HPRP attorneys represent families and individuals in their
attempts to access or preserve shelter.
 Access to Public Benefits Project
HPRP and volunteer attorneys represent families and individuals
in administrative disputes to obtain and preserve state disability,
welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, veterans’, and other benefits.

4.  Encompassing all of HPRP’s pro bono
programs is the deep understanding that
people who are homeless often cannot access
legal services in a traditional manner. To
provide the most comprehensive services to
HPRP’s clients, volunteer attorneys reach our
clients where they live and eat.
 The pro bono program currently consists of
two projects: criminal record expungement and
veterans benefits.

5.  Reducing Barriers to Housing and
Expungement Employment Imposed By Criminal
Project Records
HPRP attorneys and volunteers
represent homeless and low
income persons in proceedings to
expunge records of charges that
result in non-conviction (e.g. where
the prosecutor refuses to
prosecute).
HPRP also advocates for expansion
of statutory eligibility for
expungement, and urges housing
providers and employers to
provide access to ex-offenders.

6. Expungement Expungement Know Your
Intake and Rights Sessions at
Outreach Community Centers in
Baltimore City
Expungement Intakes at
Community Centers in
Baltimore City and
Montgomery County, MD

7. Law student volunteers conduct intake for those interested in getting
criminal record expungements at local community centers.
Our Baltimore City intake sessions currently take place at:
 Our Daily Bread, located at 725 Fallsway Baltimore, MD 21202
 Franciscan Center, located at 101 W. 23rd St. Baltimore, MD 21218
 A Westside location to be determined in the near future.
Our Montgomery County intake sessions take place at Shepherd’s
Table, located at 8210 Dixon Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910.

8. Upcoming  Our Daily Bread:
Intakes  October 1, 2012
We take the first 20 people to
sign in at 3:00pm. The intake
starts at 4:00pm.
 Franciscan Center:
 October 5, 2012
 We schedule appointments for
this site. Please contact
Christina Askins, Legal Clinic
Coordinator at 410-685-6589,
ext. 18 for more information.
No walk-ins are accepted on
this date.
 Shepherd’s Table (Montgomery
County)
 September 5, 2012
 We see the first 10 people to
sign in at 6:00pm.

9.  Step 1:
 Sign-in
 Step 2:
 Brief overview of process
 Step 3:
 Intake by law student
 Step 4:
 Issued check to get fingerprint record at CJIS

10.  CJIS record comes to HPRP’s office
 Katie makes an assessment of client’s eligibility
 If client is eligible, we assign case to a volunteer
attorney in our pro bono program
 If client is ineligible, we let client know why
and give information on pardon process, out of
state resources (if applicable), or give referral to
Public Defender if client has pending matter
that precludes expungement at this time

11.  If eligible, client will meet  If there are no objections
with a pro bono attorney from the state’s attorney,
we can expect an order
at the center where he or granting the expungement
she came through intake from the court within a
process. couple of months.
 At the meeting, client  Once the court order is
issued, it can take several
signs paperwork months for all of the
(expungement petitions) certificates of compliance
to be filed with the court. to be received. We look
for compliance letters
from the court, police
department and CJIS.

12.  We see around 300 clients for expungement a year. Out of
those 300, around 75% have one or more charges that are
eligible for expungement.
 Our follow-up with clients who have obtained
expungement indicates that a significant number are
finding employment between 2 and 10 months after the
expungement has been granted. However, many of our
clients remain unemployed because of the restrictions
imposed by current expungement law.

13.  HAS GETTING YOUR RECORDS EXPUNGED HELPED YOU SECURE EMPLOYMENT?
“I was able to get a job because of my record being cleared. HPRP saved my life.”
“It has given me the feeling that I can start over. I am working on furthering my education so I
can get a job.”
“Has helped; I am able to get small jobs, and am willing to do anything legal. Lately, I‟ve been
cutting grass and doing paint jobs. All of the energy that I used to put into „getting high‟ is now
used on working and trying to find work.”
“ Most definitely, has helped clear my record for about a five year period.”
“Yes, I just had an interview today and think that it went well!”
 HAS THE EXPUNGEMENT HELPED YOU FIND HOUSING?
“Yes, it‟s a start; I‟m on the waiting list.” (For public housing)
“I have applied for housing and about one month ago I updated my information for the housing
process. I am waiting to hear back.”

14.  For more information about HPRP’s Pro Bono
Program and the Expungement Project, please
contact Katie Meyer Scott or Christina Askins at
410-685-6589
HPRP
201 North Charles Street, Suite 1104
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 685-6589
Toll Free (800) 773-4340 / FAX (410) 625-0361
www.hprplaw.org