Clean Slate laws shift the burden of clearance from individuals to the state — eliminating the barriers of navigating a complex, costly, and often inaccessible petition-based system. Learn more in this research brief by Dr. Laura Chavez, Director of Research & Data, which draws on a recent survey of 800 people with arrest and conviction records in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Michigan.

Earlier this year, The Clean Slate Initiative commissioned a survey to learn more about the impacts of Clean Slate laws in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Michigan — three states that have implemented Clean Slate. We aimed to gauge the impact that having a record has had on people’s lives, their awareness of Clean Slate laws, their eligibility for record sealing, and the impacts they have experienced thus far from their state’s Clean Slate law. Learn more in the full report.

California began implementing automatic record relief in July 2022. This report uses individual-level data from the California Department of Justice to estimate the number of Californians who likely benefit from the state's automatic record relief laws, including those that have all of their records relieved and receive a Clean Slate. Learn more in the full report from California Policy Lab.

Shortening waiting periods for record clearance increases the employability of qualified workers, which improves the economy, strengthens businesses, and transforms the lives of those seeking a meaningful career. Learn more about the importance of reforming waiting periods in this policy short by The Clean Slate Initiative.

To date, in the 12 states that have passed Clean Slate laws, more than 2 million Black adults are eligible to have their records fully cleared. Learn more about the impact of Clean Slate laws on Black communities in this policy short by The Clean Slate Initiative.