skip to main content
Search

Stay current with updates on our cyber incident page.

Southwest’s first Expungement Clinic draws big crowd in the Memphis community

By Chris Caldwell

Criminal Court Clerks
(L-R): Criminal Clerks Court Office Public Information
Officer, Kevin Phipps, Southwest Department Chair
and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies,
Joanitha Barnes and Chief Administrative Officer for
General Sessions Courts, Michael Williams at the
Expungement Clinic & Job Fair hosted at
Southwest’s Verties Sails Gymnasium April 23, 2022.

Southwest continues to be a pillar in the Memphis community offering hope and second chances to many Memphis and Shelby County residents. More than 250 residents received a second lease on life April 23, 2022 when the Department of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services hosted its first Expungement Clinic & Job Fair in partnership with the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk and General Sessions Court Clerk. 

The clinic assisted former offenders in expunging or clearing their criminal records. Southwest Department Chair and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, Joanitha Barnes, saw it as an opportunity for attendees to learn more about Southwest’s programs and talk to recruiters about possible jobs at The American Job Center Tennessee, Kroger, FedEx, and the Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center. 

“This is an ideal partnership for Southwest – not only because we are helping to uplift those in our community but our students, too,” she said. “We have students that may be hindered from progressing in their lives because they have an old-standing record on file.” 

Hopeful to rid his record and start fresh this summer at Southwest, Asanta Pugh, walked through the doors of the Verties Sails gym with a positive mind that his criminal record would not be a hinderance much longer.  He plans to enroll in the college’s Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) program to become a paramedic.

Asanta Pugh
Asanta Pugh

“I got into a little trouble around the beginning of the pandemic and because of it I lost my job,” Pugh said.  “It was a nonviolent offence and I’ve learned my lesson. I was down and out but now that I’m accepted into Southwest, I have a fresh start at life again.”

Since Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Huhn was appointed in 2018, more than 4,200 records to date have been cleared through 16 expungement clinics.  “It’s important to bring these clinics into the community where residents feel more comfortable attending the event rather than going to 201 Poplar because of the stigma associated with that place,” Huhn said. “It’s a life changing experience for many. They are not only clearing their records but in doing so, are reclaiming their voting rights and for many, a chance to be employed again.”

Huhn says the clinics are the first steps of the expungement process where the County Criminal and General Session Courts asses the eligibility of a person’s record to determine if it can be expunged and to fill out any necessary paperwork. To see a list of the inclusions and exclusions, click here.  

Barnes said she looks forward to Southwest hosting the expungement clinic on a regular basis. “This was the first time the clinic was hosted on a college campus and it was a huge success.  We received positive feedback from our government partners and citizens and it was a great recruitment tool for the college,” Barnes said.