The Legal Aid Society announced the expansion of its Worker Justice Project to Queens today – an initiative to combat discrimination faced by workers with arrest or conviction records living in New York City, according to the Queens Daily Eagle. Every day employers and licensing agencies unfairly deny qualified individuals the opportunity to work because of pending charges, past convictions, and even sealed or dismissed cases. This discrimination prevents countless New Yorkers from maintaining financial stability and supporting their families — and further disenfranchises people of color already subjected to discriminatory employment practices and the racist administration of criminal justice.

“The Worker Justice Project provides crucial and life-changing services to New Yorkers with arrest or conviction records by helping them fight discrimination and break down unjust barriers to employment,” said Tina Luongo, Attorney-in-Charge of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society.