Survivor Reentry Project

2. Screening

Once the form has been received, the SRP Advocate will reach out via email to schedule a Screening Call with the Survivor or coordinate a call with the professional who completed the form on the Survivor’s behalf (if requested). The purpose of the Screening Call is to ensure that the Survivor is eligible for SRP services, to describe the process, and to answer any questions.

The Screening Call will take about 5-15 minutes. SRP will provide an interpreter, at no cost to the Survivor, if English is not their preferred language.

You can preview the questions here.

The SRP Advocate will then send information about the next steps. Read the Next Steps After the Screening Call flyer.

3. Fingerprints

Once eligibility has been determined, the SRP Advocate will provide the Survivor with instructions on how to obtain a complete criminal records check through a national fingerprinting service at no cost to the survivor. The Survivor must download the report within 72 hours of receipt and email it to the SRP Advocate.

Read Completing the Fingerprint Process with SRP flyer.

If the Survivor already has a copy of their national criminal records check that is up to date, SRP will review those documents and determine if a new report is needed.

4. Intake

Once the criminal records report is received, the SRP Advocate will connect the Survivor with their assigned Pro Bono Intake Team via email.

The Pro Bono Intake Team will schedule an initial call with the Survivor to introduce themselves, explain their roles, and review the Consultation Agreement that outlines what the Survivor can expect while working with the Pro Bono Intake Team.

Next, the Pro Bono Intake Team will schedule an Intake Call with the Survivor to discuss elements of the Survivor’s trafficking experience. This information is used to analyze the Survivor’s criminal record and determine what is eligible for post-conviction relief. Read the Intake Call Questions.

The Intake Call can last up to one (1) hour to complete. Please note that the intake process may take more than one conversation. This is completely normal and allows the Pro Bono Intake Team to move at a pace that feels comfortable for the Survivor. The Pro Bono Intake Team will provide an interpreter, at no cost to the Survivor, if English is not their preferred language. Read the Preparing for the SRP Intake flyer.

5. Strategy Memo

After the Intake is completed, the Intake Pro Bono Team will use the intake interview answers, the relevant state statutes, and the Survivor’s fingerprint results to assess the Survivor’s full record for eligibility. This analysis will be documented in a short memo that explains what is eligible for relief, what may be eligible for general expungement, and what is not eligible at all at the time. Once the Eligibility Memo is complete, the SRP Advocate will coordinate with the Intake Pro Bono Team and the Survivor to schedule an Intake close out call with the Intake Pro Bono Team, the Survivor, and SRP staff. During this call, the team will review the Eligibility Memo with the Survivor, answer any questions, and then SRP will discuss next steps with the Survivor.

6. Assign Legal Team

Assigning a legal team for representation is unfortunately the longest wait period for most Survivors working with SRP. Due to high demand, low capacity of current providers, legal deserts in some states, and the ongoing nonprofit funding cuts, we are working as hard as we can to place cases with legal professionals that are able to provide trauma-competent and survivor-centered representation at no cost to Survivors.

SRP will assign representation as soon as possible. For Survivors with records in multiple states, there will likely be a different lawyer for each state, and they will each be assigned when they are found.

Once SRP has identified a lawyer willing to take a case for representation, SRP will send basic information (Survivor name, date of birth, and contact information; Trafficker name(s) if known; location of the cases) to the lawyer to do a “conflicts check.” This is a required step to make sure that the lawyer has not worked with the Trafficker or has any kind of ethical conflict in the case.

Next, the SRP Advocate will send an introduction email to connect the Survivor with their representation team. SRP will remain involved with both the lawyer(s)–to ensure the legal team has documents and technical support as needed — as well as the Survivor—to help bridge any communication gaps or concerns the Survivor might have while working with the team.

The Survivor can contact SRP at any time for support, to ask questions, or to get additional information.

Read the Tip Sheet for Survivors of Human Trafficking Working with Attorneys flyer.

7. Clear Records

Generally, representation on criminal record relief cases can take anywhere from 6 months to two years depending on how complex the record is and how communicative both the Survivor and legal team are. Most states do not require a hearing with the Survivor present, but some do. To see what each state requires for criminal record relief, please see the SRP Map. Once relief has been granted, SRP will provide the Survivor with any documents that the representation team had not yet provided and close out that state case. If the Survivor has other state cases those cases will remain open until all records are cleared.