Over 500 Miami Residents Registered for Free Legal and Social Service Event

OVER 500 MIAMI RESIDENTS REGISTERED FOR FREE LEGAL AND SOCIAL SERVICE EVENT

Over 500 Miami Residents Registered for Free Legal and Social Service Event

Dozens of community groups, lawyers, and legal aid organizations come together to provide free services to help people overcome barriers caused by the criminal justice system this Saturday.

MIAMI, FL (December 1, 2022) –

Nearly 100,000 people are arrested each year in Miami-Dade County.[1] The vast majority of those arrested live below the poverty line and lack access to basic resources.[2] This Saturday, Miami-Dade County and Florida Justice Center are hosting a Second Chance Event in the underserved Allapattah neighborhood of Miami that provides free services to empower individuals to achieve success and break the cycle of incarceration.

Taking place this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 10am to 4pm, at the Allapattah Neighborhood Center located at 1897 NW 20th St, Miami, FL 33142, over 500 people have registered for this one-day event.

Attendees are welcome to walk-in or pre-register online and meet with attorneys providing sealing and expungement, probation, clemency, voting rights, housing and evictions, immigration, government benefits, and family law advice. Attendees can also meet with dozens of local nonprofit organizations helping attendees with housing, employment, transportation, medical care, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, voter registration, HIV testing and prevention, childcare, and job skills training.

“We love being in the community and helping people who have nowhere else to turn. Our clients cannot afford thousands of dollars for an attorney, but that shouldn’t stop them from getting help when they need it,” said Florida Justice Center Director of Legal Services Alex Saiz, Esq.

Organizations confirmed for the event include Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Re-Entry One, Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Division (CAHSD), Transition Inc, 300 Letters, Fingerprint Link, Democracy for All, Empowerment Zone Reentry Initiative, Salvation Army, Health Council of South Florida, Greater Miami Service Corps, Florida Department of Corrections, New Horizon Community Mental Health Center, Midway Specialty Care Center, LEAP, The Promise Fund of Florida, Alliance for Aging, Greenspoon Marder, Community Work Training Program, and Ellie Mental Health.

^{[1] Mean of 2010-2020 arrests. https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/CJAB/UCR/Annual-Reports/UCR-Arrest-Data}

^{[2] https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/03/14/5-facts-about-prisoners-and-work-before-and-after-incarceration/}