Experts will be on-site to assist with clearing juvenile records, restoring rights

PHOENIX (Sept. 3, 2024) – The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County in collaboration with its partners will host the 2nd annual Project Restore: My Record & My Rights event to provide an opportunity for individuals with juvenile delinquency or diversion records to have their records destroyed.

On Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Durango Juvenile Court Center, 3131 W. Durango Street in Phoenix, the public is invited to attend Project Restore: My Record & My Rights to determine eligibility to destroy their juvenile records, restore their civil rights, set aside a juvenile adjudication or obtain an expungement of marijuana offenses. Judges will be on-site to review cases and issue immediate rulings.

“Project Restore provides an opportunity for those who were involved in the juvenile justice system an expeditious format to move forward without the stigma of a juvenile record,” said Lori Horn Bustamante, the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Department.  “We want those who made mistakes as a youth to be able to pursue their dreams without their past holding them back.”   

A juvenile record can often hinder opportunities like employment, military enlistment and renting an apartment. For individuals involved in the justice system, clearing a juvenile record can be a crucial step toward achieving success. 

“The focus of Juvenile Court is rehabilitation. Project Restore offers hope to those currently involved in Juvenile Court that they will not have to live with their juvenile record forever,” said Caitlin Engstrand, delinquency attorney supervisor for the Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate. “And for those who have demonstrated rehabilitation, an opportunity to restore their rights in a quick and convenient way to set them on a new (better) path.”

Partners for the event, in addition to the Judicial Branch (Superior Court and the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department), include the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate, Community Legal Services, the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court and Arizona State University’s Youth Justice Lab.

“Many people think that a juvenile record doesn’t matter or will automatically be sealed after they’ve served their time or completed their requirements. But that’s often not true. It can drag people down—people who have already made their amends and paid their debts to society,” said Adam Fine, professor and head of the Youth Justice Lab in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. “This is about making the process clear, simple, and accessible so that we can give them the chance to leave their past behind and start a new life.” 

One of the event’s partners, ASU’s Youth Justice Lab, recently created a valuable guide and assessment tool to help individuals determine their eligibility for juvenile record destruction before attending the event. 

"This event gives people a new start. It helps people open a new door to new possibilities that they didn't even know they had before,” said Mercedes Tang, an undergraduate research fellow with the Youth Justice Lab in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. “We built the ASU resources to turn this daunting process into bite-sized chunks. When people have worked hard to leave their past behind, we want to help empower them to freely live the next chapter of their lives." 

To learn if you might qualify for the destruction of a juvenile record, please visit the ASU Youth Justice Lab’s guide and assessment tool. https:/asu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7ZZryUHwLOap5Zk

To start the process, community members can request their “public profile” at https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/juvenile-probation/juvenile-records-requests/

For additional help and instructions, go to https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc/jvrr  

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