Second Chances and Health: Clean Slate Conversations During Public Health Week

‍Arrest and conviction records can block access to jobs, housing, education, and healthcare. These are the social determinants of health — the building blocks of well-being.

This month, National Public Health Week and Second Chance Month overlap — and it’s no coincidence. The two are deeply connected. Across the country, outdated arrest and conviction records are quietly shaping people’s health outcomes, driving economic instability, and deepening inequities. That’s not just a legal or moral problem. It’s a public health crisis.

Why This Matters

During National Public Health Week 2025 (April 7 - 13), The Clean Slate Initiative joined two critical conversations, one in Massachusetts and one at the national level, to explore how arrest and conviction records affect public health. These are the social determinants of health — the building blocks of well-being. Without them, people face higher stress, worse mental and physical health, and far fewer chances at a stable life.

The message from both events was loud and clear: automated record clearance is a powerful public health solution.

Massachusetts Public Health Webinar

Hosted by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, this conversation brought together advocates and public health leaders to focus on how arrest and conviction records damage health outcomes. Panelists included Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative, Senator Adam Gomez, Jessica Collins, Executive Director of the Public Health Institute of Western MA, and Jay Ash, CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership.

Sheena put it plainly. “It’s not just about what shows up on a background check — it’s about the constant stress, stigma, and limited options that wear people down over time.” 

In Massachusetts alone, 1 in 5 adults has an arrest or conviction record, and too often, that record is a barrier to basic stability. For those individuals, even decades-old records can make it harder to rent a home, land a job, or afford healthcare, all of which are critical to leading a healthy life.

Sheena highlighted new data from states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Utah, showing that Clean Slate laws, which automate the sealing of eligible records, have led to:

• Improved mental health and self-esteem,
• Higher employment and income, and
• Better housing and education access.

Watch the webinar recording here.

Public Health + Public Safety LinkedIn Live

In a national LinkedIn Live event, Reginald Darby, Federal Legislative Director, joined Dream.org hosts Amanda Hall, Sr. Director of National Campaigns, and Kandia Milton, Government Affairs Director, to discuss the broader implications of drug policy advocacy, including the impact of Clean Slate policies. Other panelists included Hanna Sharif-Kazemi, Policy Manager, Office of Federal Affairs of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Libby Jones, Program Director of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator's Overdose Prevention Initiative.

He reminded viewers that nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults has some form of record. There is currently no standardized process to seal federal records. Without that, people are trapped in cycles of poverty, instability, and stress.

“This isn’t just a legal reform issue,” Reginald said. “It’s a health issue, an economic issue, and a community issue.”

The event also highlighted two bipartisan federal bills:

• The Clean Slate Act, which would automatically seal certain federal records, and
• The Fresh Start Act, which would help states fund and implement their own record-sealing systems.

Together, these bills would remove major systemic barriers for people who’ve already served their time and remained crime-free for years.

Watch the LinkedIn Live recording here.

Connecting the Dots: Records and Public Health

Clean Slate policies go beyond second chances — they’re about first steps toward health, stability, and dignity. Removing the burden of an old record doesn’t just open up opportunity. It reduces stress, stabilizes families, and strengthens communities.

Take action today and urge your members of Congress to prioritize federal Clean Slate legislation in 2025 and support states that have led the charge in Clean Slate policies.