Pardon Project Of Beaver County Eligibility
Pardon Project Eligibility
The Pardon Project of Beaver County may provide pro se (cost-free) assistance under the following conditions:
Beaver County residents.
Pro Bono (free) support is available to residents with household income at or below 200% of poverty guideline
At the start of the Pardon Petition process, at least 8 years have passed since completion of most recent sentence (may be shorter for low level convictions, for example, for small amounts of marijuana/paraphernalia and minor retail thefts)
At the start of the Pardon Petition process, an individual with a record reflecting alcohol, substance abuse or mental health, must show evidence that they have invested in appropriate treatment programs and intend to do in the future
At the start of the Pardon Petition process they must have paid all court-ordered restitution. Anyone not eligible for free coaching needs to have paid all fees and court costs. Otherwise, this will be subject to review on a case-by-case basis.
No conviction, at any time, in any jurisdiction, of any “crime of violence” as defined in PA Code § 81.202:
(i) Murder of the third degree, voluntary manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1) (relating to aggravated assault), robbery as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(1)(i),(ii) or (iii) (relating to robbery) or kidnapping.
(ii) An attempt to commit murder of the third degree, voluntary manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1), robbery as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 (a)(1)(i),(ii) or (iii) or kidnapping.
(iii) An offense committed while in visible possession of a firearm for which sentencing was imposed under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9712 (relating to sentences for offenses committed with firearms).
Bona fide “need”/reasons for the pardon
Some record of “giving back” or contribution to the community (volunteering/ helping others must occur over the next two years)
A qualifying Applicant will be assigned a Pardon Coach to guide the Applicant through the Pardon process. This may include filling out and then filing the Application, obtaining support letters or recommendations, and preparing for the virtual hearing before the Pardon Board.
If, after review of the Application for cost-free Assistance, the Pardon Project Coordinator may determine that an Applicant does NOT qualify for pro-se assistance by the Beaver County Pardon Project. The Applicant may still proceed to file a Petition, may use the resources available on the Pardon Project web site and may attend free Pardon Workshops.
The Board of Pardons normally takes 1-2 years to review a Pardon Application, schedule a virtual hearing at which the Applicant may testify before the Pardon Board, and render a
To apply for assistance by the Beaver County Pardon Project, email your name, date of birth and contact information to:
PardonMeBeaverCounty@gmail.com