The Project to Remove Employment Barriers
The Project to Remove Employment Barriers program provides the emerging need to address criminal record barriers to employees. This program is provided through a former public defender who will lead the project by reaching out to and educating residents and those government and social services that serve those residents, for purposes of public education and referrals for representation. There are no other programs in Washington County that provide record barriers.
Victims of Domestic Violence Representation Project
This program provides help to victims of domestic violence. There is an ongoing need for domestic violence representation due to the prevalence of this societal problem, and Legal Aid fills an important role in the service community. Prosecutors and police enforce criminal laws, social services advocates help victims in a variety of ways, and Legal Aid obtains and helps to enforce protection orders that provide critical distance between abusers and victims. The program is provided through clients calling and coming into the office for an assessment procedure. This program is important because there is limited knowledge of available services for domestic violence cases.