CSI Joins DOJ for a Conversation About Collateral Consequences, Record Clearance, and Clemency
On Friday, September 23, 2023, The Clean Slate Initiative’s CEO, Sheena Meade, was a distinguished panelist on a conversation hosted by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney: “The Case for Second Chances: A Conversation About Criminal Justice, Collateral Consequences and Clemency.”
During the event, which included an in-person audience and was live-streamed on the DOJ website, U.S. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta delivered virtual opening remarks. Her remarks covered an important point about including — and listening to — directly impacted voices in these conversations. “The perspectives of justice-impacted people are important for us to lift up at events like this, and for us to listen to as we consider and evaluate policies and programs.”
Photo by: Milton Lawrence Creative Agency
Following the remarks, a panel discussion featuring justice-impacted advocates and experts was led by U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer. “Our work is grounded in the principle that each of us is capable of redemption,” said Oyer. “And each of us is deserving of the opportunity to achieve it.”
The discussion addressed the collateral consequences of incarceration, including economic and generational effects on families and communities; interconnections with race and gender; and the role of record clearance and clemency.
Alongside Sheena Meade, other distinguished panelists were:
Ames Grawert, Senior Council for Brennan Center for Justice;
Tony Lewis Jr., Author, Community Leader, Reentry Expert, and Champion for Children with Incarcerated Parents;
Amy Ralston Povah, Founder of Can-Do Clemency Foundation, and Clemency Recipient; and
Robert Richardson, Author, Activist, and Clemency Recipient.
Photo by: Milton Lawrence Creative Agency
In addition to sharing her personal experience, Sheena took the opportunity to celebrate Clean Slate’s success in states and encourage movement for Clean Slate at the federal level. “Record clearance is happening on the state level, but we don’t have that process on the federal level. I’m hoping that the momentum that’s being seen across the country will show folks at the federal level that we need it here, too.”
Conversations like this one, with such high-level stakeholders, are an important part of the continued growth of Clean Slate at the state and federal levels. We send our thanks to the U.S. DOJ’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, and to all of the panelists, for their contributions to this important and ongoing work.