The Public Defender’s Office, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, and Macon-Bibb’s WorkSource Georgia are all participating in the upcoming ‘Macon Peace: Victory Over Violence’ outreach event on Saturday, October 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Buck Melton Community Center (150 Sessions Drive).

The event is being coordinated by Mayor Pro Tem & District 9 Commissioner Al Tillman, who says this will be one way to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community, provide free haircuts and health screenings, showcase local entertainment talent, and more. The Public Defender’s Office will be talking about records expungement; the Sheriff’s Office will be highlighting open jobs in law enforcement, and WorkSource will provide information about education and training services to help people get further training and/or jobs.

“We have to make sure that we’re working directly with people and our neighborhoods to ensure their needs are being met,” says Mayor Pro Tem Tillman. “By doing so, we can continue to build a trust between them and our agencies and service providers, thus building a stronger community.”

For the records expungement portion of the event, the Public Defenders’ Office can help people start the process or learn how to start the process. To start, they should bring their criminal history (GCIC) – which can be obtained from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office – to learn if they are eligible for expungement or other remedies.

“There are many options available to people, and this will be a great chance for people to learn what is available, what they need to do, and maybe even begin the process,” says Public Defender Rick Waller.

The District Attorney’s Office will be providing information about records restriction. Current law provides for the restriction of certain criminal history records for non-criminal justice purposes (such as for employment) when approved by a prosecuting attorney. For example, a person may be eligible for records restriction if he/she was arrested for a crime and the case was disposed of without a conviction or the person was convicted of certain misdemeanors while under age 21.

“Not only is this the right thing to do, it’s a proven method for reducing crime,” said District Attorney David Cooke. “When eligible applicants are able to pursue an education and get jobs, our entire community benefits.”