Victoria's Pursuit for a Better Life

Meet Victoria, a domestic violence survivor who served time in jail after being convicted of a serious crime when, as a teenager, Victoria was involved in an incident involving her abusive boyfriend. Victoria was released from jail early and successfully completed her sentence without any issues. With her second chance underway, Victoria was in pursuit of a better life. Victoria started working again, earned her GED and stepped up to adopt nieces and nephews after losing a sibling to a crime of violence. Although Victoria had paid her debt to society and was actively creating a better life for herself and her family, her criminal conviction remained as a life sentence.

That was when Victoria reached out to PSLS to be her voice to request that her criminal record be sealed. PSLS staff stood beside Victoria in court and advocated for the sealing of her criminal record. During the hearing with the judge, PSLS presented evidence regarding the nature of the crime, Victoria’s successful completion of her sentence and the many things Victoria had done to improve her life since then. After hearing the evidence, the judge agreed to seal Victoria’s criminal record. While the record is still available to the courts and law enforcement, it is no longer a barrier to Victoria and moving forward with her life. Today, thanks to the high-quality legal services provided by PSLS staff, Victoria’s criminal record is sealed and the doors to opportunities are open wider!