San Rafael, CA – A special event February 17 in Marin City is taking shape as a smorgasbord of services from four County of Marin departments that are eager to bring assistance directly to residents in their own neighborhood.
Clean Slate program supporters at Civic Center include (from left) Assistant DA Otis Bruce Jr., Health and Human Services Director Benita McLarin, Probation Chief Marlon Washington, Health and Human Services Division Director D’Angelo Paillet, DA Lori Frugoli, and Public Defender David Joseph Sutton.People in need of help with justice-related tasks such as clearing one’s record, terminating one’s probation, or dismissing a conviction will be able to walk in with documentation and receive help from the Public Defender’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, or the Probation Department.
Not only that, the Department of Health and Human Services will be on hand for assistance with public benefits such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh food assistance, CalWORKS services, employment training, and general financial relief for families. COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots will be available as well.
The Marin City event – orchestrated with Black History Month in mind – is set for 4-7 p.m. Thursday, February 17, in the parking lot of Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church, 101 Donahue Street.
The first-of-its-kind service fair in Marin City is part of a new community-minded program called Clean Slate, a collaboration of the County’s justice-oriented departments plus key support from Health and Human Services. Program co-founders are Public Defender David Joseph Sutton, Assistant District Attorney Otis Bruce Jr., Probation Chief Marlon Washington, and D’Angelo Paillet, Division Director of Social Services and Public Benefits for the Health and Human Services Department.
“We’re bringing the Civic Center directly to the community,” Sutton said. “The Clean Slate Program is a targeted approach at community outreach to ensure that clients, former clients, and community members thrive. We want to ensure that every community member can succeed following a criminal conviction. Sealing and expunging someone’s prior record is only one crucial ingredient to that success. Providing community members with access to job training, government benefits, and basic health care needs are critical to fostering a strong foundation for economic stability and success.”
Plans are in the works to create similar events in other Marin neighborhoods where needs are particularly strong.
“I believe that this collaboration really shows the commitment of each of the departments to help remove barriers to self-sufficiency and have a presence in the community,” Paillet said. “I am excited to see how far we will be able to take this program.”
District Attorney Lori E. Frugoli added, “We are honored to collaborate with our justice partners on this important program. The Clean Slate program assists us in fulfilling our initiative to help qualified applicants expunge and reduce their prior convictions.”
Those seeking law-related help are asked to bring all relevant documents with them, including past correspondences and state Department of Justice records. Each participating department will have Spanish translators on hand to help with health or immigration-related relief.
For questions about the event related to legal services, contact the Public Defender’s Office at (473) 473-6321. For health-related questions, contact Health and Human Services at (415) 473-3350.