MORGANTOWN — Gov. Jim Justice celebrated some landmarks in his Jobs & Hope drug rehabilitation program on Monday. The program, the successor to Jim’s Dream, offers free treatment and job training. Successful participants can also have their driver’s licenses reinstated and seek expungement of nonviolent crimes through through the program.
Justice announced the first successful expungement of a client’s record. Marie Bechtel, an attorney with Legal Aid, which works with program clients, said the single mother “did something very dumb” when she was young and the mistake cost her employment and education opportunities.
when she was a young, single mother and was trying to provide for her children. It was the only crime she’s ever been accused of committing ever in her life. It had held her back, it had cost her a driver’s license, it had cost her employment opportunities and education opportunities over the years.
The program has a record-high enrollment of 1,805, Justice said; 193 clients have had their licenses reinstated. Good News Mountaineer Garage has helped 19 applicants get vehicles. And 182 participants have received career employment since July 2019.
