Goodwill, Maricopa County Team Up to Give a Second Chance to Youth Offenders

In partnership with the Maricopa County's Juvenile Public Defender's Office, Goodwill of Central Arizona supports youth offenders by putting the law to work on the side of youth program participants.

According to Larry Stevenson, Coordinator for Goodwill's Youth Maricopa Workforce Connections program, Arizona’s youth are facing unprecedented times especially in our current economy.

"The job market is saturated with overqualified adults applying for the types of jobs that have traditionally been awarded to youth who are not college graduates," said Stevenson.

Moreover, youth experience additional obstacles in landing a job when employers discover that the applicants have a criminal history.

This community was clearly in need of assistance and Stevenson and Goodwill career advisor Sylvia Moreno were determined to provide the necessary support to help the youth overcome the roadblocks that materialize once potential employers found out that their youth participants - ranging in age from 14-21 - had committed criminal offenses in the past.

Through countless hours of research and discussion, Stevenson and Moreno developed a program for Goodwill youth program participants that would expunge, seal and or set aside their criminal records if they met the requirements set by the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. They also partnered with a local attorney, Christina Phillis, Juvenile Defender for Maricopa, who could assist the Goodwill youth participants in understanding their legal rights.

Phillis’ experience is an excellent contribution to Goodwill’s team as she has been assisting youth with destruction of records since 1999 and has been serving as the Juvenile Public Defender since the office was created July 1, 2008. Phillis looks forward to working with Goodwill to assist youth in our community and feels it is extremely rewarding for her office to assist juveniles through difficult situations.

"I believe that youth deserve the opportunity to move forward with goals and dreams for their future without being hindered by their past," said Phillis. "Also, I believe that youth and adults need to understand their rights and the justice system so they may exercise them appropriately and avoid devastating consequences. In order to make a wise decision, people need to have all the information such as what is and what is not a crime and how to exercise their constitutional rights."

Stevenson added, "The partnership with Phillis will allow our participants the chance to compete in the jobs market once again without the baggage or the stigma of having a criminal record. This will truly give them a second chance."

This relationship will also better position Goodwill of Central Arizona to serve as an advocate for our offender participants when recruiting employers. It’s a real win-win situation for Arizona’s youth and Goodwill when we can help break down more barriers to future employment.

For more information about Goodwill's Youth Maricopa Workforce Connections program, please call (602) 535-4000 or visit the goodwillaz.org Youth Services page.