Expungement Benefit Program helps former felons move on with their lives

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Changing lives- one criminal record at a time. The first person to complete the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board’s Expungement Benefit Program spoke to WAVE 3 News.

Timi-Michlle Tolhurst is a mother of two, a WKU graduate and an employee at Hardin Memorial Health’s Urgent Care Center in Radcliff.

Tolhurst had a felony drug arrest in 2010, six years before she graduated college with a sociology degree. She eventually received a pardon from Governor Steve Beshear- but that still didn’t clear her record, and the felony conviction made it difficult to find work. At one point, the college graduate was working three jobs just to make ends meet.

Tolhurst was the guniea pig for a pilot program. Hardin Memorial Hospital helped Tolhurst with the expungement process and the associated costs to remove a Class D felony from her record. She says she’s grateful for the opportunity. She says, “Last week, I had a background check run and it came back clean for the first time in ten years. So that was pretty exciting to see that. and just how amazing that can be not only in my life but to other people who haven’t had that support. who need that support.”

The Workforce Development Board is working on creating a customizable template to allow regional employers to develop an expungement benefit program.

To learn more about the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board, click here.