From Judgment to Redemption: Why Faith Communities Support Clean Slate

People of faith have long believed in redemption, renewal, and the sacred dignity of every human being. In Illinois, our faith communities have preached and practiced these values across generations — in our houses of worship, in our neighborhoods, and in our justice ministries. But for over 2 million of our neighbors living with old arrest and conviction records, the legal system continues to deny that dignity.

Even after fulfilling every demand the system places on them — serving time, completing programs, and striving to rebuild — people with records are locked out of basic opportunities for jobs, housing, education, and stability. These barriers are not accidents. They are the legacy of a legal system designed not just to punish, but to exclude — to deny people full personhood even after they’ve paid their dues. And when one of us is denied dignity, all of us are made less free.

Clean Slate is not just about second chances. It is about freedom for us all. It is a step toward repair, justice, and wholeness — values deeply rooted in our faith traditions and central to our call to love and serve.

Scripture calls us to forgive - and to also transform unjust systems:

“Do not remember the former things... I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:18-19

“He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free...” – Luke 4:18

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." – Luke 6:37

Houses of worship have long led the work of healing — from prison ministries to reentry support. But healing also demands systemic change. Clean Slate legislation is one such change: a policy that makes sure second chances are not reserved for those who can buy their way out of their past. The current record-sealing process makes people jump through hoops, navigate red tape, and spend hard-earned money on court processes - money that should be used to support families. Instead, Clean Slate helps ensure that people who meet the requirements receive a meaningful second chance through a state-initiated record-sealing process, opening up access to jobs, housing, and the full rights of citizenship without carrying the burden of permanent punishment.

This is not just policy. It is spiritual work. It is liberation work. And it is work that faith communities must lead.

Across the country, states are passing Clean Slate laws because they are moral, practical, and just. They make families stronger, communities safer, and economies more inclusive. But more importantly, they move us closer to the Beloved Community — where every person is seen not for their past, but for their possibility.

I invite faith leaders in Illinois to join the growing group of clergy members in calling for lawmakers to pass Clean Slate into law, making sure our friends and neighbors have a fair shot at a second chance after making a mistake.

Learn more about Clean Slate in Illinois at cleanslateillinois.org.