STIIIZY continues to prove why they’re one of the most well-respected brands in cannabis, on a global scale.
STIIIZY And Healing Urban Barrios Present Expungement Clinic & Second Chance Resource Fair
On Thursday, May 9th, STIIIZY teamed up with restorative justice organization Healing Urban Barrios to present the Expungement Clinic & Second Chance Resource Fair. A well known California nonprofit, Healing Urban Barrios provides a holistic approach to intervention and reentry services to individuals, families, and communities in Los Angeles. The highly-anticipated event took place in L.A.’s Lincoln Heights neighborhood, on a beautiful sunny day.
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The goal of the clinic was to increase accessibility to expungement, helping those with minor drug-related offenses clean their record and offering them a new lease on life. In the state of California, you may only be eligible for expungement if you 1) completed probation and 2) did not do time in state prison (or would not have served in prison had your case occurred after “Realignment” under Proposition 47, which was passed in 2014 and recategorized certain nonviolent acts as misdemeanors rather than felonies).
The event allowed marginalized communities and those with prior convictions to rebuild their life in hopes of improving their outcomes, especially in the fields of employment, housing, and family reunification.
What Did STIIIZY And Healing Urban Barrios' Event Do For Los Angeles Expungement?
Daysi Garcia, Social Equity and Impact Specialist at STIIIZY, states, “This is really exciting because STIIIZY has a history of hosting expungement clinics in California, in Illinois, and a couple of other places. Doing it in Los Angeles, in the backyard where we started our headquarters, our main store is really special. Especially because this year, the policy has changed. We're able to help a lot more people get access to expungement services, and that's why we're here today.”
The turnout was incredible, shutting down the block on Avenue 24 with a ton of local vendors such as job readiness programs, job training programs, disaster preparedness. Of course, they also had reentry services so that people know if they need help, STIIIZY has what they need. The goal is for local vendors to connect easily with the community. Participating organizations and vendors included Health Net, Goodwill Southern California, Costco, Via Care Community Health Center, California Justice Leaders (Americorps), Listos California, and the Los Angeles Office of the City Clerk providing voter information.
City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez came out to support the event, promoting it on social media and cheering the opportunities that the fair offered to the community.
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Skateboarder And Actor Fabian Alomar Speaks On Expungement
Pro skateboarder and actor (Flamin’ Hot, This Fool) Fabian Alomar was also present for the festivities, an example of someone who’s a walking testimony after coming out of the system.
“It's something that I truly believe in,” Alomar states. “I believe in second and third and fourth chances. I've always been given a chance. I've come out of the system, and I was formerly incarcerated. For me, having my record expunged opened up doors to me now having a passport and able to leave the country. Even in the city, within the city limits, just right down the street. People with a record, like me from my experience, it's a weight lifted off of you. You don't have to have that shadow or hindering [sic] over you.”
He continues, “It's a door opener, and also you feel good about yourself. You don't have to worry about nothing [sic]. The doors open up with jobs, because everyone wants to know your background and then they check. It's a great opportunity for someone formerly incarcerated coming home, to get their life back together. To get your life back together starts with you. If your record is clear and expunged, then you feel good about signing that application and filling out anything to go anywhere to get the job. To make the next move in life. For me, it's a big door opener, and wide opportunity after that.”
What's Next For STIIIZY And Healing Urban Barrios' Expungement Efforts?
In addition to the amazing cause present, free tacos from Blue’s Tacos were also provided for all the attendees. The Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender helped facilitate the Expungement Clinic as part of their continued efforts with Prop 64 to reduce or expunge past marijuana-related offenses. STIIIZY’s own Joint Effort Volunteers were present on-site to help attendees register the day of. Following the event, STIIIZY reported that over 30 attendees had had their records expunged at the clinic, with 20-plus booking appointments to do so at a later date.
Throughout the month of June, Healing Urban Barrios will continue to offer expungement services to L.A. residents.
Garcia adds, “STIIIIZY is committed to increasing accessibility to expungement services, reentry services, and a lot of other social impact work. A lot of people don't know that wherever we operate, there's some kind of community contribution that we make sure happens. For two reasons. One, because we're operating in the neighborhoods impacted by the War On Drugs, and that's not lost on us. We want to be part of the healing process now that things are legalized and now that we're coming out of the War On Drugs.”
For more on STIIIZY, visit stiiizy.com. To learn more about Healing Urban Barrios and their expungement services, visit healingurbanbarrios.org.
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Written By:
Shirley Ju is a journalist, media host, and seasoned music industry professional. She is the founder of Shirley's Temple, a podcast series with a focus on mental health, where her guests include Trippie Redd, Chanel West Coast, Ricky Williams, Blac Chyna, and more. Shirley's work has been featured in publications such as Variety, Complex, Nylon, Flaunt, and REVOLT; she can also be seen doing exclusive interviews for leading urban news source VLADTV, featuring a platform with 5 million subscribers. Find out more about Shirley at @shirju on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
@shirju (IG)
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Featured image: Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez (center) at the Expungement Clinic & Second Chance Resource Fair with team members from Healing Urban Barrios (C) STIIIZY
