Sealing the Past & Opening Doors to Opportunity: Second Chance Month 2025

April marks Second Chance Month (SCM) — a nationally-recognized celebration of second chances, fresh starts, and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted by the legal system. At The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), we’re proud to join the nation in observing Second Chance Month. Every year, this month underscores the importance of sealing the past and opening doors to opportunity.

The Importance of Second Chances

Between 70 - 100 million people in the United States have a past arrest or conviction record, which can create significant barriers to employment, housing, and stability. A staggering 94% of employers, 90% of landlords, and 72% of colleges and universities utilize background checks, often limiting opportunities for those with records. Furthermore, there are over 42,000 state and federal restrictions that impose additional obstacles, many affecting essential aspects of life.

Barriers created by records are far-reaching:

• Nearly half of all children in the U.S. have at least one parent with a record.
• Job applicants with a record are 50% less likely to get a callback, keeping millions of people trapped in joblessness or poverty.
• Data from a survey of people with records in MI, PA, and UT, shows that nearly 1 in 3 people with arrest or conviction records report difficulty getting a job, maintaining employment, making a living, or paying rent or bills.

Clean Slate Policies Drive Second Chances

Clean Slate policies, which automate the sealing of eligible records for people who have remained crime-free for a period of time, are a clear win for second chances. The numbers speak for themselves:

• A person is no more likely to commit an offense after staying crime-free for 4 to 7 years than anyone else.
• Studies show that within one year of having a record sealed, people were 11% more likely to be employed and saw an over 22% increase in income.
• Over 15 million people are eligible for full or partial record sealing in the 12 states that have enacted legislation meeting Clean Slate criteria.
• Data from a survey of people with records in MI, PA, and UT, shows that 42% of respondents reported improvements in work, employment, finances or public assistance, while 35% reported improvement in personal or family relations.

Second Chances Surpass Politics

In a time where policies are often divided, the support for second chances — and Clean Slate — is strongly supported across the political spectrum. Clean Slate policies have passed in red, blue, and purple states, championed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. 

Federal support for Clean Slate crosses the divide, too. In previous years, Congress has introduced bipartisan federal Clean Slate legislation, with sponsors representing both parties listed on the bills. We expect to see those bills re-introduced this year, and are already working with Republican and Democrat champions to make it happen.

Even the White House, across administrations, supports second chances. In 2018, President Trump proclaimed April as Second Chance Month for the first time - a tradition that has continued since, and that we expect to see again this year. This annual proclamation that has now been issued by presidents of both parties reinforces the ongoing bipartisan commitment to second chances.

Show Your Support for Second Chances

This Second Chance Month, we invite you to support second chances and Clean Slate by spreading the word on social media, and with your networks, about the importance of sealing the past and opening doors to opportunity. We created a Second Chance Month guide to help you share the key information: in it, you’ll find social media assets, events, resources, videos, impact stats, and more. 

By advocating for policies that seal past records, we open doors to opportunity, strengthen families, boost the economy, and foster safer communities. Our work goes beyond a month, because barriers created by records exist every day. The time for second chances is always.