AUTOMATIC RECORD CLEARANCE REMOVES BARRIERS AND DELIVERS IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WITH RECORDS
A Clean Slate Research Brief by Dr. Laura Chavez
People with records face substantial barriers that limit their participation in society, particularly in employment, housing, and education. Clean Slate laws address these challenges by automatically sealing eligible records for individuals who have completed their sentences and remained crime-free. Thus, the burden of clearance shifts from individuals to the state, eliminating the burden of navigating a complex, costly, and often inaccessible petition-based system.
This research brief draws on a recent survey of 800 people with arrest and conviction records in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Michigan. The survey was developed by CSI in collaboration with Dr. Nyron Crawford, Associate Professor of Political Science at Temple University, and administered by YouGov. Here we highlight the economic, social, and psychological impacts of Clean Slate laws as revealed by the survey data.
Just a few years after passage, Clean Slate legislation is already benefiting people in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Utah.
Clean Slate laws have been passed in 12 states to date, including Pennsylvania in 2018, Utah in 2019, and Michigan in 2020. By 2024, 15 million people became eligible for full or partial record clearance across the 12 Clean Slate states[1], and over 2 million are eligible for full or partial relief in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Michigan, which started clearing records automatically in 2019, 2020, and 2023, respectively. Many of these records are over 10 years old[2], so very real questions existed among lawmakers, advocates, and directly impacted people as to whether the clearance of decades-old records would deliver tangible benefits.
The survey data clearly indicate that those eligible for automatic record clearance are already experiencing real improvements in their lives. Unlike petition-based systems, where individuals must navigate complex legal procedures, pay fees, and often require legal assistance to clear their records, Clean Slate laws remove these barriers by automating the process. This is particularly significant because studies show that only a small fraction of those eligible ever file petitions for records clearance[3]. The reasons are clear: the petition-based process is often prohibitively difficult, expensive, and inaccessible for many, especially those already burdened by the economic and social consequences of having a record.
By shifting the burden to the state, Clean Slate laws ensure that relief reaches all eligible individuals, including those who may not even know they qualify. This automatic process eliminates the need for legal intervention, democratizing access to record clearance and delivering benefits to people who would otherwise remain trapped by their past. The data show that people with automatically cleared records report improvements in employment opportunities, family relationships, and mental health, showing that Clean Slate’s systemic approach can be more effective at providing relief and helping people rebuild their lives than the traditional petition-based system.
In this survey of people with records, nearly half (46%) of those who had a criminal record sealed, expunged, or set aside had their record cleared automatically. Respondents felt that they had benefited personally from record clearance and that they would continue to benefit in the future.
Over one-third (38%) of those whose records were cleared automatically agreed that they had already benefited or would likely benefit from Clean Slate laws.
36% of Black people agreed they know someone who has already benefited or will likely benefit in the future.
People who know their records have been cleared automatically report improvements, especially in employment, family relationships, and mental health.
Research demonstrates that when people’s records are cleared through a petition-based process, their earnings increase by over 22% in the first year[4]. Yet even with this research, the question remained as to whether this same benefit is realized by people who don’t have to take action to clear their records. In addition, it has been unclear whether someone would even know if their record had been cleared when the process happens automatically by the government. Directly impacted respondents in three states that have recently passed and implemented Clean Slate laws, thus clearing millions of people’s records automatically, report overwhelming improvements in a wide range of life factors.
Even small improvements really matter when people with records face major barriers.
There are over 42,000 laws and regulations that make having a record an ongoing burden. Over half of the people surveyed (53%) report that it was extremely or somewhat difficult in at least one area of their life following their arrest or conviction.
Barriers are even more significant for people with felony convictions. Among respondents with felony convictions, well over half (58%) had been denied a job or fired because their employer learned they had been arrested or convicted, and another 9% responded “maybe.”
Footnotes
See The Clean Slate Initiative. (2024). “Population Estimates to Maximize Policy Impact: The Clean Slate Initiative Methodology for Estimating State Populations with a Record.” Available at: cleanslateinitiative.org/data
In Pennsylvania, the passage of “Clean Slate 3.0” expanded eligibility for automatic sealing in 2024 to include some non-violent felony convictions, which can become eligible for sealing after 10 years, and many misdemeanor convictions may be sealed after 7 years. Summary convictions can be sealed after 5 years (see: www.mycleanslatepa.com). In Michigan, some felony convictions are eligible for automatic set aside after 10 years, and many misdemeanor convictions are eligible after 7 years (see: https://www.michigan.gov/msp/services/chr/conviction-set-aside-public-information/michigan-clean-slate). And, in Utah, misdemeanor convictions are eligible for automatic expungement after 5 to 7 years (see: www.cleanslateutah.org).
See: Chien, Colleen. "America's paper prisons: The second chance gap." Michigan Law Review (2020): 519-611. See also: Prescott, J.J. and S. Starr. (2020). Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study. Harvard Law Review. 133(8): 2460-555.
See: Prescott, J.J. and S. Starr. (2020). Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study. Harvard Law Review. 133(8): 2460-555.
About The Clean Slate Initiative
The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free and expands who is eligible for clearance.
CSI’s vision is that people will no longer be defined by their records and will have the opportunity to contribute to their community, have a fair opportunity to work, get an education, and achieve their full potential.
Acknowledgments
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the individuals who made this report possible.
Special thanks to members of our Board of Directors, Daryl Atkinson, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Forward Justice, and Mindy Tarlow, Senior Fellow and Research Professor at the New York University Marron Institute of Urban Management, for their support and guidance throughout the survey development process.
We are immensely grateful to Dr. Nyron Crawford, Associate Professor of Political Science at Temple University, for his invaluable assistance in creating the survey, analyzing the data, and providing critical insights throughout this project. We also acknowledge Dr. Laura Chavez for her dedication and hard work in leading this project.
Without the collective efforts of these individuals, this comprehensive analysis of the impacts and awareness of Clean Slate laws in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Michigan would not have been possible.
Dr. Laura Chavez is the Director of Research and Data at The Clean Slate Initiative and a former academic with experience in local government.
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