On Friday, June 30, 2023, Sheena Meade was featured on NPR’s TED Radio Hour as the first installment in the show’s Audacious Solutions episodes. Tune in here.

On June 8 & 9, 2023, over 200 advocates gathered in Oklahoma City with a shared vision and a clear goal: uniting for second chances and advancing Clean Slate nationwide. Read more in this 2023 Convening recap.

“We applaud New York lawmakers for reaching an agreement and supporting this common-sense policy. Over 2.3 million people have a record in New York, but only .2% of eligible people have cleared their records under the current system. This Clean Slate bill will automatically clear records for anyone who is eligible, helping more New Yorkers gain a second chance at a better future…

The belief in redemption is something most of us share — that’s why over 70% of voters, across party lines, support second chances through Clean Slate policies. Learn more about the importance of bipartisan support for Clean Slate in this blog post by Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative.

Minnesota just became the 11th state to pass legislation that meets The Clean Slate Initiative’s criteria for “Clean Slate” legislation. Read more in this blog post.

On April 27, 2023, Congress introduced two bills that could unlock opportunities for millions of people in America: the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act — two common-sense, bipartisan bills that would finally provide some relief to millions of Americans who often face lifelong economic barriers because of a past federal record. Learn more about the bills in this blog post.

On Thursday, April 27, 2023, the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act were introduced in U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan sponsorship.

Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Nancy Mace (R-SC) are lead sponsors of the Clean Slate Act, and Reps. Trone (D-MD) and Armstrong (R-ND) are lead sponsors of the Fresh Start Act.

These two substantial, bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts would provide some relief to the millions of people who face barriers because of a past arrest or conviction record.

Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative, issued the following statement in support of the bills…

Amanda’s journey through addiction, incarceration, reentry, and receiving a second chance is a story about perseverance, strength, determination, and the need for Clean Slate. Learn more in this guest blog post by Amanda Hall, Justice Director of Dream.org.

Earlier today, a $75 million commitment to The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) was announced at the TED2023 conference. The investment will fund a large portion of the organization’s strategy to pass laws in 15 states in the next six years that expand eligibility and streamline the clearance process for arrest or conviction records, ultimately unlocking opportunities for 14 million people in America — a strategy that’s been met with overwhelming support across political divides…

We are thrilled to announce that CSI has received a landmark financial commitment through The Audacious Project — an historic step toward fully-funding our six-year plan to clear records for an additional 6-8 million people. Read more in this blog post.

In partnership with the Clean Slate Initiative, SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, conducted an analysis of record clearance policies in 11 states, and put their findings together in a report that outlines what’s working, what needs work, and where states can go from here.

“The work of Clean Slate Michigan partners has inspired other states around the country to ensure working people have a meaningful chance at building a better life for themselves and their families,” said Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative. “Michigan’s Clean Slate law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support because Clean Slate policies are good for the economy and improve community safety. The Clean Slate Initiative and our Michigan partners will continue to work with state agencies to ensure this process works as lawmakers intended and everyone who is eligible has their shot at redemption.”

On April 11, 2023, the automatic expungement provision of Michigan’s Clean Slate law went into effect. On day one, the law is projected to help over 1 million people clear their records fully or in part — learn more in this guest blog post by John Cooper, CEO of Safe & Just Michigan.

Delaware hosted a Clean Slate Lobby Day at Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware ahead of the state’s Clean Slate implementation in 2024. Read more in this guest blog post by John Reynolds, ACLU-DE’s Clean Slate Delaware Campaign Manager.

This year marks the seventh consecutive year recognizing April as Second Chance Month.

Ensuring people with an arrest or conviction record have meaningful second chances is important. And in recent years, Clean Slate legislation has emerged as a powerful tool to ensure everyone has a shot at redemption.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s bipartisan endeavor has been successful in passing and implementing laws that automate government record-sealing processes to automatically seal records for those who are eligible.

We need your help to ensure the progress continues.

Use our Second Chance Month Toolkit to show your support of Clean Slate efforts this month. We invite you to use the content in our toolkit as-is or as inspiration for your own content throughout Second Chance Month.

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 one million people in America have received a second chance through automated record sealing of eligible arrest or conviction records. 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.

In a short time, we’ve gone from being an ambitious campaign to a rapidly-growing organization, and there’s so much more to come. Learn more in this blog post about the Clean Slate Initiative’s growth.

The end of a year is a natural time for reflection — so let's take a moment to reflect on all the incredible things we accomplished together in 2022.

We're closing out this year with seven active state campaigns and several other states working to launch their own campaigns. This year we passed Clean Slate legislation in Colorado and Oklahoma, and our friends at Californians for Safety and Justice passed legislation in California. Our team also made progress on support for federal Clean Slate legislation. Every day, you work hard to deliver real second chances to folks in your states, and each win – no matter how big or small – fuels the growth of this movement.

I am sharing this message with mixed emotions: Erin George, National Campaigns Manager for Clean Slate Initiative has transitioned out of our organization and into what is a dream role for her. Erin has moved into a leadership role as National Director of Policy at The Bail Project, and I am so excited for her new chapter.

As we honor those who served in our armed forces this Veteran’s Day, I think about how we can serve our veterans as well as they have served us. according to the Veterans Justice Commission's preliminary report, “[e]mployment is one of the most well-documented barriers to successful reentry for individuals leaving prison.” Learn more in this blog post by Sheena Meade.