Ammons Reflects on Successful Expungement Summit

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, aided in hosting yet another successful Expungement Summit last month. These events are designed to provide legal assistance, advice and guidance to individuals looking to expunge their criminal records.

“I’m so proud to host an event that can make such a life-altering change for so many people in our community,” said Ammons. “Expunging or sealing records opens up countless opportunities for individuals seeking to work and return to being a contributing member of society.”

This spring’s Expungement Summit was hosted at Parkland College and sponsored by Ammons in collaboration with Land of Lincoln, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, state Senator Paul Faraci, First Followers and Champaign Circuit Clerk Susan McGrath.

Expungement Summits in Champaign have helped 519 individuals since fall of 2023, expunging 612 individual records and sealing 715 records. In order to modernize the automatic sealing and expungement process, Ammons supported House Bill 1836, known as the Clean Slate Act, which was signed into law earlier this year.

“The Expungement Summit is unique in that it helps actualize the Constitutionally mandated opportunity to, after serving their time, restore citizenship rights to those who were incarcerated, allowing them to advance their lives,” said Ammons. “I look forward to holding another Expungement Summit later this year to ensure more people in our community who meet the specific requirements can move forward in their lives despite their past.”