A free expungement clinic in North Minneapolis gave hundreds of Minnesotans an opportunity to get a second chance.

Attorney General Keith Ellison and community partners launched the effort to help people who paid their dues get free legal guidance on expunging their criminal records.

As Cokealia Flowers tries to move forward, her past holds her back.

“It’s real and it’s been a real struggle for me,” Flowers said.

23 years ago, Flowers said she made a mistake that became a permanent one on her criminal record.

“It’s followed me since I was 17. It’s been detrimental,” Flowers said. “I paid my dues. I did everything that the law said I should and I’ve never been in trouble again.”

Flowers was faced with navigating limited access to jobs, being denied housing and facing barriers in education.

She wanted a clean slate, so she attended an expungement clinic in North Minneapolis hoping for new beginnings.

Hundreds came out to get guidance on how to seal their record to open up more doors of opportunity.

“People are excited to be here because they didn’t know some of these resources existed for them and just the fact that people want to move forward with their life,” Rod Adams, New Justice Project executive director, said. “They want jobs. They want housing. They want to vote. They want to be able to be a part of society.”

Adams sees it firsthand through his work with the New Justice Project which focuses on equity in the Black community.

Pew Research Center data shows Black people and Hispanics are more likely to be charged, arrested and held in jail longer compared to white individuals with the same criminal histories. 

“We think about who is impacted by the criminal justice system. A lot of times it’s folks who look like me,” Adams said.

After meeting with the attorney general’s legal staff, Flowers got the news she’s eligible to have her record expunged with a possibility of being pardoned and they can help.

“I’m feeling blessed,” Flowers said. “It feels like a weight has been lifted off me. Now, I’ll just wait for the next steps. New beginnings here I come.”

Flowers currently works at The Bridge for Youth Homeless Center and she’s passionate about giving back. She works with at-risk youth hoping to steer teens in the right direction.

AG Ellison explained at a Monday press conference he plans to have more expungement clinics in the future.