# Criminal Record Help Resources - Mississippi
## National Resources
- **National Expungement Works**
- **Website:** [https://www.offtherecord.us](https://www.offtherecord.us/)
- **Description:** Offers resources for expungement assistance, including guides, legal aid events, and workshops.
- **Legal Aid Hotline (LIFT - Legal Information for Families Today)**
- **Phone:** 1-888-343-4414
- **Website:** [https://www.liftonline.org](https://www.liftonline.org/)
- **Description:** Provides free legal information and referrals for record sealing and expungement.
## Statewide Criminal Record Help Services
- **Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP)**
- **Phone:** 601-882-5001
- **Website:** [https://www.mvlp.net](https://www.mvlp.net/)
- **Office Locations:** Statewide services based in Jackson, MS
- **Services Provided:** Free and low-cost legal assistance for expungements, reentry, and civil legal matters.
- **Mississippi Center for Justice**
- **Phone:** 601-352-2269
- **Website:** [https://www.mscenterforjustice.org](https://www.mscenterforjustice.org/)
- **Office Locations:** Jackson, Biloxi, and Indianola, MS
- **Services Provided:** Expungement guidance, legal workshops, and assistance for those reentering society after incarceration.
## Regional Criminal Record Help Services
### Jackson Area
- **Hinds County Reentry Council**
- **Phone:** 601-209-1140
- **Website:** [https://hindsreentry.com](https://hindsreentry.com/)
- **Office Location:** 407 Briarwood Drive, Suite 209, Jackson, MS 39206
- **Specialized Services:** Reentry support, expungement help, and employment placement for individuals with criminal records.
### Gulf Coast Region
- **Gulf Coast Center for Justice and Reentry**
- **Phone:** 1-800-800-1396
- **Website:** [https://www.gccjustice.org](https://www.gccjustice.org/)
- **Office Location:** 180 Debuys Road, Biloxi, MS 39531
- **Specialized Services:** Legal assistance for record expungement, housing support, and job training programs.
## How to Start the Process
1. **Eligibility Check:**
- Use the [Mississippi Center for Justice Expungement Guide](https://www.mscenterforjustice.org/resources/) to see if you qualify.
2. **Required Documents:**
- Certified court records of the case(s) to be expunged.
- Valid photo identification.
- Any proof of rehabilitation or good conduct (optional but helpful).
3. **Where to File:**
- File a petition for expungement in the county where the conviction occurred. Contact your local Circuit Clerk's office for details.
## Online Legal Aid & Support
- **Mississippi Free Legal Answers**
- **Website:** [https://ms.freelegalanswers.org](https://ms.freelegalanswers.org/)
- **Features:** Free online Q&A service where qualifying residents can ask attorneys questions about expungement and criminal record relief.
- **Justice Tech Lab Expungement Tool**
- **Website:** [https://www.justicetechlab.org](https://www.justicetechlab.org/)
- **Features:** Online eligibility check, guidance for completing petitions, and state-specific legal support.
## Additional Resources
- **Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Mississippi**
- **Phone:** 601-321-6000
- **Website:** [https://www.mdes.ms.gov](https://www.mdes.ms.gov/)
- **Services Provided:** Job training, career counseling, and support for individuals with criminal records seeking employment.
- **Goodwill Industries of Mississippi – Reentry Programs**
- **Phone:** 601-853-8110
- **Website:** [https://www.goodwillms.org](https://www.goodwillms.org/)
- **Services Provided:** Job placement assistance, skills training, and reentry programs for people with criminal records.
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_Updated as of December 2024. For updates or corrections, please contact [
[email protected]](mailto:
[email protected])._