Second Chance Month Illustrates the Strength of State and Federal Bipartisan Reform Efforts
The Implementation of Clean Slate Policies Offers Millions of People in the U.S. a Shot at Redemption
Media Inquiries: press@cleanslateinitiative.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A recent proclamation from President Joe Biden declared April as Second Chance Month. It is the sixth consecutive year such a proclamation has been issued, with President Trump signing the first in 2018. Second Chance Month aims to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring people have access to meaningful opportunities after obtaining an arrest or conviction record. Clean Slate policies have created the largest impact of second chance efforts in recent years, made possible by sustained bipartisan support at the state and federal levels.
As a result, over 15 million people in America are eligible for full or partial record clearance in the 12 states that have passed legislation that meets CSI's policy minimums. Millions more are in line to have their record automatically sealed as additional states implement policies already signed into law and more states continue to advance additional Clean Slate legislation.
“We have reached the point where people are starting to experience the impact of Clean Slate policies. The people of Pennsylvania and Utah are benefiting from a streamlined process that ensures all who are eligible receive a second chance,” said Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative. “Several states are working towards implementing Clean Slate policies that have already been signed into law, putting millions of people on the path to having a fair chance to build a better future for themselves and their families.”
Pennsylvania and Utah enacted the first Clean Slate laws in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and the laws went into effect in 2019 (PA) and 2022 (UT). Since then, over 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have benefited from Clean Slate automated record sealing, according to Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania state court system database reports that over 43 million cases have been sealed. KUER, Utah Public Radio, reported its state “court system has received more than 216,000 records to be expunged. Roughly 60,000 of those have been processed.” Michigan, the next state that will implement a Clean Slate law, plans to initiate its automated record clearance process on April 11.
“The numbers are astounding. It is no surprise that the number of people benefiting from Clean Slate laws is in the millions with just two states implementing a streamlined, automated system,” said Sheena Meade. “Roughly one in three people in the United States have some kind of record. That’s between 70 - 100 million people in this country who are denied access to opportunities. It is so common, and we must understand that the second chances we are talking about are for our friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones.”
Most states already have a process for sealing arrest and conviction records. However, the process is often expensive and complicated, requiring time off work and having an attorney. As a result, fewer than 10% of people eligible to have a record sealed receive record relief following a state’s waiting period for eligibility. State-level Clean Slate campaigns connect lawmakers, state agencies, and other stakeholders with technical and policy experts to identify pathways to transition from antiquated petition-based processes to an automated clearance process that automatically seals records for those who are eligible.
The benefits of Clean Slate go beyond having a transformational impact on individuals and families directly benefiting from record relief. Communities are safer when people have meaningful employment, housing, education, and other opportunities. Research from the University of Michigan found that sealing records increases employment status and earnings for people with cleared records in that state. The same research found that record clearance was associated with significantly reduced reoffense rates, lowering them to below those of people who do not have a record.
“When we find ways to work together, we have the ability to create change. The only way that change lasts is if it's bipartisan — and that's why Clean Slate will have such a lasting impact,” said David Safavian, member of the Clean Slate Initiative Board of Directors and general counsel of the American Conservative Union Foundation and Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “Ensuring that people have a second chance and access to meaningful opportunities after they have paid their debt to society increases community safety, boosts local economies, and alleviates workforce demands.”
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About the Clean Slate Initiative
The Clean Slate Initiative is a non-profit organization that uses a bipartisan policy model to update and expand eligibility for arrest and conviction record clearance if a person stays crime-free for a period of time. Our vision is that everyone in America should have a fair opportunity to work, have a safe home, take care of their families, and contribute to their community. The Clean Slate Initiative’s efforts unite businesses, advocates, community members, and impacted people across the country to ensure that conviction and non-conviction records are no longer a life sentence to poverty and that past mistakes will not forever define people’s futures.
Additional Data & Resources
More than 100 million people living in the United States have an arrest or conviction record (Table 19. Criminal Justice Information Services Division, FBI; 2020).
Background checks are widely used and can prevent people from accessing opportunities. Background checks are used by:
More than 90% of employers as part of the hiring process (SHRM, 2019).
90% of landlords when considering prospective tenants (Transunion SmartMove, 2017).
72% of colleges and universities during consideration of admitting students (New York: Center for Community Alternatives, 2010).
More than 44,000 state and federal regulatory restrictions limit the ability of people with a record to access meaningful opportunities to build a better life (National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction).
Correction: This release has been updated to remove some estimates about the number of people and records impacted by laws already passed in states, given the many ways to parse the data. For information or data related to the impact of the Clean Slate Initiative, please contact press@cleanslateinitiative.org.
