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A letter from the W.A.G.E. Center:

September 19, 2016

Hello,

I am delighted to announce that the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY) is launching the Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP) this fall.  JRAP is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Second Chance Act funds.  The goal of JRAP is to assist young people with reintegrating back into their communities.  LASNNY is partnering with the Albany Housing Authority (AHA) and the “Working to Achieve Gainful Employment” (W.A.G.E.) Center to implement this program.

The program will assist young people up to age 24 who have juvenile or criminal records residing in public housing, or who would be able to reside in public housing if they did not have a record.  The services provided will assist individuals with: sealing and/or correcting juvenile or adult records as permitted by New York State law, counseling regarding legal rights and obligations in relation to searching for employment, and alleviating collateral consequences associated with reentering the community.  LASNNY is eager to begin assisting our community with overcoming obstacles in accessing public housing, gaining employment, and pursuing educational opportunities, obstacles which are often brought on by criminal justice involvement and rap sheets.

As a valued community organization and ally in social justice, I would encourage you to contact me at (518) 533-5935, or via e-mail at cshukla@lasnny.org for more information and to discuss establishing a simple referral relationship.  I am happy to meet with you and your organization to discuss this program in depth and answer any questions.  Please note: I will be holding office hours at the W.A.G.E. Center on 200 Green Street in Albany on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m.  In addition, on Wednesday, September 21^st, the W.A.G.E. Center and Legal Aid will be holding a Legal Information Workshop from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at AHA’s 200 South Pearl Street, First Floor conference room.  Clients can feel free to drop in during office hours and/or attend the workshop for more information.  Clients can request assistance by calling me directly at (518) 533-5935 during business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to working together on this new initiative.

Sincerely,

Chaula Shukla
Staff Attorney