FREQUENTLY ASKED
REENTRY SUPPORT:
AIKEN ANSWERS.
The questions that actually come up about reentry support in Aiken.
Local context for Aiken
Aiken is a historic city in the Augusta metro, west of the Midlands in Aiken County, anchored by the Savannah River Site, the Aiken Training Track, Hitchcock Woods and the Augusta metro job base.
Aiken runs on a federal nuclear site, an equestrian economy and spillover from a metro area in another state. Very little of its economic activity depends on the rest of South Carolina. Steady in-migration of retirees and of workers tied to the metro across the river. Growth here is driven by people choosing to move in rather than by a single employer expanding.
Aiken pulls buyers from the Augusta metro as much as from South Carolina. Comp to the buyer pool you will actually market to.
This page is part of a larger body of work — start with the deal calculators and learning resources.
More for Aiken
The rest of the Aiken material
The full market read for this area is on the Aiken, SC site. The deeper treatment of reentry support is on the topic site.
Frequently asked
Questions people actually ask
Do you work in Aiken?
Yes. Aiken and the rest of Aiken County are inside the regular footprint, along with much of South Carolina.
Is this a government program?
No. Second Chance Kings is part of Ben Lovro's Kingdom Alliance service work. It is not affiliated with the South Carolina Department of Corrections — which runs its own separately-named Second Chance Program — or with any other state agency.
Do I have to be religious to get help?
No. Ben's faith is his own and it is why he does this. Nobody has to share it, agree with it, or attend anything to be treated decently.
What is hardest about coming home to Aiken?
Be realistic about the federal site: clearance requirements close it and most of its contracting to anyone with a record, and that is a large share of the good jobs in the county. The workable paths are manufacturing, warehousing, landscaping, food service, hospitality and barn work, which hires on competence. The city bus helps inside Aiken itself, but the county is wide and most work sits outside the routes.
Can my record be expunged in Aiken County?
It depends on the charge and how it resolved. Dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, diversion dismissals, certain first-offense misdemeanors and some drug possession convictions may be eligible, with waiting periods running from about one year to twenty. Traffic and fish-and-wildlife convictions generally cannot be expunged. This is not legal advice — ask the Solicitor's office or South Carolina Legal Services.
Where do I apply for expungement?
For a non-conviction in Magistrate or Municipal Court, through that court. For everything else, through the Solicitor's office in the county where the charge or conviction occurred — for this area, Aiken County.
How do I talk about my record in an interview?
Briefly, early, and facing forward. One or two sentences: what happened, that it is behind you, what you have done since. Then move to the work.
Make your next move
A year from now, what will you be glad you started today?
You don't need another promise that everything will be easy. You need something useful to learn — and a next step you're willing to take.