People Change.
Records Can Too.
A pardon is total forgiveness by the state and it requires the court, prosecutors, and state police to erase your record like it never happened.
You will never have to “check the box” again!
The West Philly Pardon Network
A pardon is a powerful tool for people who deserve a second chance. In Pennsylvania, the pardon process is free and more accessible than ever before. The West Philly Pardon Network was created to help members of our community who were once convicted of a crime, completed their sentence, and turned their lives around – and only their past is holding them back from pursuing their potential.
If you’re someone who has a criminal record and is considering seeking a pardon, there are several benefits to doing so. Firstly, a pardon can help remove the stigma and barriers that come with having a criminal record, making it easier to find employment, housing, and education opportunities. Additionally, a pardon can provide a sense of closure and allow you to move on from your past, freeing you to pursue personal and professional growth. The potential benefits of a pardon are significant and can create a range of opportunities that may not have been available otherwise. We want to help you realize this opportunity!
If you have ever pled guilty or been convicted of a non-violent state crime in Pennsylvania and completed your sentence at least five years ago, you should consider applying for a pardon.
Records Can Too.
The West Philly Pardon Network
A pardon is a powerful tool for people who deserve a second chance. In Pennsylvania, the pardon process is free and more accessible than ever before. The West Philly Pardon Network was created to help members of our community who were once convicted of a non-violent crime, completed their sentence, and turned their lives around – and only their past is holding them back from pursuing their potential.
If you’re someone who has a criminal record and is considering seeking a pardon, there are several benefits to doing so. Firstly, a pardon can help remove the stigma and barriers that come with having a criminal record, making it easier to find employment, housing, and education opportunities. Additionally, a pardon can provide a sense of closure and allow you to move on from your past mistakes, freeing you to pursue personal and professional growth. The potential benefits of a pardon are significant and can create a range of opportunities that may not have been available otherwise. We want to help you realize this opportunity!
If you have ever pled guilty or been convicted of a non-violent state crime in Pennsylvania and completed your sentence at least five years ago, you should consider applying for a pardon.
A pardon is total forgiveness by the state and it requires the court, prosecutors, and state police to erase your record like it never happened.
You will never have to “check the box” again!
News Alert
On October 8, 9 and 10, the PA Board of Pardons will hold its final pardon Public Hearings of the year. Sessions begin at 9am and 1pm. At the end of each session, the Board will vote on whether to recommend each candidate to the Governor. A total of 154 applications will be heard.
All candidates for a pardon have completed their sentences years if not decades ago. If you are considering applying, a current applicant, a Pardon Coach, or just interested in seeing what the five Board members are most concerned about before they will allow someone to have a second chance, plan to watch at least 30 minutes.
It’s Easy: Help Yourself, and Help Your Neighbors!
Do It Yourself Video: How to Write Your Own Pardon Application
Pardon Coach Training Video (February 2024)
Pardon Coach Training Slides
Who is a Good Candidate for a Pardon – and What Makes a Good Application
What To Do If It’s Not Yet Time To Apply
Pardon Application
Finding Your Online Record (will not include cases covered by Clean Slate)
Documents to Get from the Courthouse (for all cases, including Clean Slate cases)
Example of a good Personal Statement
Example of a completed Pardon Application
Helpful Websites
Two –
Thirds
of those who apply for a pardon in Pennsylvania actually get one!
Did You Know?
Pennsylvania is leading the nation in pardon reform! The pardon process is entirely free, a lawyer is not necessary, and over 80% of the people going before the PA Board of Pardons actually end up with a pardon! Over a ten-year period, pardons brought over $16.5 million dollars in higher wages into communities all across the state. West Philly deserves its fair share!
Who We Are
The West Philly Pardon Network began with 15 community leaders meeting to discuss what could be done about how criminal records – people’s pasts – are keeping our whole neighborhood in poverty. We came together at the invitation of Shuja Moore, a fourth-generation West Philadelphian, who is an award-winning film director and producer and is still serving a sentence for a crime he committed in 2004. Inviting as many civic, business and non-profit leaders as we could, we held a screening of his documentary Pardon Me at the Paul Robeson House on February 14 and, because of the great interest, followed it up with two free training programs on February 27 and 29. We are the ONLY “Pardon Network” in any community in the whole state, and we are part of a large and growing statewide network of Pardon Projects.
For a list of places where you can go to get information about pardons and someone to help you apply, click here. (list growing every month!)
What We Do
We encourage and train neighborhood organizations (“Pardon Hubs”) to provide information about pardons to their customers and clients, and we train volunteers (“Pardon Coaches”) so that they know the process and can help people apply.
Who We Serve
We help anyone who lives in West Philadelphia who has been convicted of a crime in Pennsylvania. We cannot help people who were convicted in federal court or in any other state.
How Do I Find Out if I Am a Good Candidate?
Complete the form below with your information and someone from our team will be reply:
Can I Apply Myself?
YES! You do NOT need a lawyer to apply for a pardon. Here is what you need to succeed:
- 8-minute film about the PA Pardon Process by Pardon Fellow Zach Keasling
- Application form and instructions (English)
- Application form and instructions (Spanish)
- List of things to get from the courthouse (English)
- List of things to get from the courthouse (Spanish)
- Watch a “Do It Yourself” video (1 hour – English)
- Watch a “Do It Yourself” video (1 hour – Spanish)
- Videos explaining how to fill out the application form
- Videos of people who have gone through the pardon process, sharing what they’ve learned
- Advice on how to prepare for your hearing before the Board of Pardons
Questions?
Second chances start here.
About the Pardon Project
230 S. Broad Street Suite 1102
Philadelphia, PA 19102
