BELLE GLADE -- The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office estimates over half of young men in Belle Glade have a felony conviction. The Census Bureau ranks the city as the poorest in Florida with over 40% of the population living in poverty. In an effort to work toward lessening the effect of a criminal conviction, creating employment opportunities, and giving second chances to those who need it most, Florida Justice Center, Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, and Trulieve have joined forces to create a free community event to provide a wide array of services to the citizens of Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay.

This event, in celebration of Second Chance Month, will take place on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belle Glade Library and Civic Center located at 725 NW 4th St., Belle Glade.  Dozens of community groups, volunteer attorneys, and employers looking to hire people with felony arrest records will be present and ready to serve the hundreds of people anticipated to be in attendance.

“Often times the biggest roadblock to normalcy for a person is their court record. Expunging those records in certain nonviolent cases can be an expensive and tedious process. The Florida Justice Center’s event in the Glades comes at the perfect time as new jobs flow into the area. Giving people a second chance to care for themselves and their families is the goal here, and I’m happy to support it,” McKinlay said.

Florida Justice Center, Florida’s only legal aid focusing on rights restoration services, will be providing sealing and expungement, voting rights restoration, driver license reinstatement, clemency, early termination of probation and outstanding warrant assistance.

Trulieve, the state’s first medical cannabis company, will be paying all sealing and expungement fees as part of their commitment to racial equity and justice.

“Florida Justice Center’s mission is to reduce the number of incarcerated people in Florida. Our legal services and community events give people the fresh start and access to resources they need to have a second chance at success,” said FLJC Executive Director Jonathan Bleiweiss.

Other services from the myriad of community groups will include:
• Civil legal assistance with immigration, housing and evictions, child custody, and government benefits,
• Help with housing, employment, transportation, and identification
• Free or reduced-fee medical cannabis evaluation and card
• Free and low-cost medical insurance and medical screening exams
• Voting registration
• Family services
• …and more!

Confirmed partners include Clinics Can Help, Coca-Cola of Florida, CROS Ministries, Families First of Palm Beach County, Florida Blue, The Glades Initiative, The Guatemalan-Maya Center, Healthier Glades, Homeless 2 Homeownership, Justice Impact Alliance, LatinoJustice PRDLEF, League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, The Lord’s Place, Naztec, Palm Beach Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, People of Purpose, Re-Entry One, Suits for Seniors and Young Men of Distinction.

"Our mission as a company has always been to improve people's lives," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "We've always been dedicated to improving the communities we call home.”                              

For more information or to pre-register for assistance, visit FLJC.org/Glade
Para obtener información en español, visite FLJC.org/espanol.

About Florida Justice Center

Florida Justice Center is the first and only nonprofit legal aid organization authorized by the Florida Supreme Court to provide criminal legal assistance. FLJC is dedicated to reducing incarceration rates in Florida using a holistic approach that combines legal and reentry