Fresh Start Resource Fair
Date: Nov 11, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Barrett Station/Riley Chambers Community Center
808 1/2 Magnolia Ave.
Crosby, Texas
Harris County Pct. 3
Available Community Resources:
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Harris County Public Defender’s Office
- Criminal record screening & sealing
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Launch Point CDC
- Job Training (ages 18-24)
- Re-entry support
- Support Services
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Houston Community College
- Workforce scholarships
- Career training for welding, machining, and manufacturing
- Fast-track industrial certifications
-
City of Houston Community Re-Entry Network
- Support for previously incarcerated
- Job readiness
- Peer support
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Harris County Public Health
- General health resources
- Lead Testing & Information
- Help applying for state and local benefits
- Connection to local resources
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Houston Food Bank
- Help navigating state and local benefits (SNAP)
- Connection to local resources
Upcoming Events
- Our November resource fair will be our last event of 2023. Events in 2024 have not yet been scheduled. Check back for updates or sign up for news and updates from Harris County Courts to be notified when our next event is scheduled.
Register online
Pre-registration for the Nov. 11, 2023, Fresh Start Resource Fair opens at noon on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
BAYOU City Community Court
Launched in 2022, BAYOU — Bringing Assistance to You with Outreach and Understanding — City Community Court serves as the community outreach arm of the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law.
The initiative builds upon the criminal misdemeanor judges’ restorative approach to criminal justice, which aims to identify and address root causes of crime, stop the cycle of recidivism, and make the community safer in the process.
The work of the community court focuses on rehabilitative justice, as well as community education, outreach, and service.
Fresh Start
Offered under the community court, Fresh Start helps eligible community members change their trajectory after experiences with the criminal justice system by sealing their low-level, non-violent misdemeanor criminal records and connecting them to vital support services at regular resource fairs.
Once the charges are sealed, they no longer have to be disclosed publically — on job or housing applications, for example — but can still be viewed by criminal justice agencies.
Ultimately, the second-chance program aims to help people meet their basic needs, reduce recidivism, and make communities safer. It is offered in partnership with Harris County’s Community Supervision and Corrections Department and Public Defender’s Office.
Important Fresh Start Update: You MUST pre-register online to access our criminal record sealing programs.
Fresh Start is expanding to better accommodate the growing demand for misdemeanor criminal record sealing. We now offer two criminal record sealing programs:Criminal Record Sealing:
Fresh Start has expanded to better accommodate the growing demand for misdemeanor criminal record sealing. We now offer two criminal record sealing programs:
- Fresh Start Record Sealing: Full-service legal representation for a limited number of participants, who pre-registered and found eligible during screening.
- ‘DIY’ Pro Se Workshop: A large group workshop guiding participants through the process of filling out and filing their own legal paperwork. All participants must have pre-registered and been found eligible during screening.
Pre-Registration
Pre-registration for the Nov. 11, 2023, Fresh Start Resource Fair opens at noon on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, and closes at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 — or sooner if all spaces are filled.
Pre-registration is required. Walk-ins are not accepted for criminal record sealing.