Program History
The Houston Bar Association’s Juvenile Records Sealing Project was created in 2013 to give juveniles convicted of minor, non-violent offenses a second chance. With their records sealed, these young people can join the military, apply for jobs in government, and attend college without the stigma of a juvenile criminal record. The program grew out of the HBA’s Juvenile Consequences Partnership (JCP), a partnership with Harris County Juvenile Probation, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Houston Police Department.
The HBA and JCAP (Juvenile and Capital Advocacy Project of Texas) partnered until 2021 to seal juvenile records. In March 2021, the HBA project transitioned to Houston Volunteer Lawyers.
For more information on sealing a juvenile record, contact:
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Juvenile Sealing Project – sealings@hvlp.org, makejusticehappen.org, 713-228-0735