Reentry Screening Tool: Find Out if Your Charges Can Be Removed from Your Record
The Reentry Program for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, in partnership with the Georgetown University Law Center, developed a Tennessee Expungement Eligibility Assessment web-based app to increase access to self-help expungement eligibility information.
This app will tell you what things on your criminal record that you may be able to have taken off your record. This is also known as an expungement. Once you answer all of the questions, the app will tell you what expungements you might be eligible for. You can have your answers sent to an email address so that you have proof of the report. A copy will also be sent to a legal expert with the Legal Aid Society.
Expungement can help you get a job, find housing, get student loans, or access other opportunities that were previously not an option because of criminal convictions or charges. Expungement allows you to legally deny an incident, arrest, or conviction occurred for charges that have been expunged.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the purpose of the app? The app will give users a tool to determine whether they are eligible to have charges or convictions removed from their criminal record. The app will ask a series of questions and will generate reports on their expungement eligibility based on the answers given by the user.
- Who is eligible to take the assessment? Anyone with a Tennessee criminal record can take the assessment.
- Will the assessment tell me about my expungement eligibility in other states or federal criminal charges? No, it will not. It will only apply to a Tennessee state criminal record.
- How accurate is the assessment? The assessment is only as accurate as the answers you give it. If you give inaccurate information about your criminal record, or have forgotten details about charges or convictions, the assessment will give you incorrect answers. We only recommend taking the assessment if you have a full understanding of your criminal record.
- What should I do if I do not have a full understanding of my criminal record? You can request a full TBI background check that will give you your full criminal record in Tennessee or you can contact the general sessions and/or criminal courts and request copies of your criminal record.
- lf I answer a question incorrectly, can I start over? Yes, you can. You can either click the back button, or go to the top right hand corner and click the button that says “Start Over”.
- Am I considered a client of the Legal Aid Society if I take this assessment? No, you are not. No attorney-client relationship is formed when you take this assessment, and this assessment is not considered legal advice.
- If the app tells me I may be eligible for an expungement, can I contact LAS for assistance with the expungement? Yes, you can. At the end of the assessment you will be asked whether you want LAS to contact you about your expungement eligibility with the option to check yes. If you click that box, someone from LAS will contact you to discuss your assessment. At that point, someone will contact you within one week. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to take your case at that time or that you will be eligible for LAS’s services. You will have to be assessed for LAS eligibility requirements like all other applicants. Another option is to call the LAS general number and request assistance with expunging your record or attend an LAS clinic.
- Can I take the assessment more than once? Yes. There is no limit to how many times you can take the assessment.
CLICK HERE take the test and find out what charges you might be able to get removed from your record.