People often equate mental health challenges to walking through a dense fog. For someone struggling with their mental health, while also living with the consequences of an arrest or conviction record, that fog can be even thicker. With Clean Slate, we can create better conditions. Read more in this blog post by Morgan Kelly, Marketing & Communications Strategist.

Stigma surrounding people with records can stick a scarlet letter on people long after they’ve paid their debt to society, which can add to the barriers people face when trying to build a better life. That’s why narrative change is a key part of CSI’s three-pronged strategy to fulfill our mission. Read more in this blog post by Stacey Ferguson, V.P. of Marketing & Communications.

H.R. 2930 and S. 5266 make up the Clean Slate Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation aims to automatically seal records of eligible nonviolent offenses, giving people the chance to move forward without the constant shadow of their past holding them back. Read this blog post by Reginald Darby, Federal Legislative Director, to learn why we need a federal Clean Slate.

The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) celebrates the introduction of S. 5266, sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Bob Casey (D-PA). The legislation is the Senate companion bill to H.R. 2930, The Clean Slate Act of 2023, and its filing represents a major bipartisan achievement, standing out amidst the heightened partisanship of election season. Read more in this press release.

For the third year in a row, CSI participated in the CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Then, just a couple of weeks later, we flew 35 advocates to D.C. to advocate in Congress for H.R. 2930, the Federal Clean Slate bill. Learn more about these federal efforts in this blog post by Reginald Darby, Federal Legislative Director.

In the past year, more than 48 million Americans battled a substance abuse disorder. At the same time, 70 - 100 million people in America are living with an arrest or conviction record. Learn more about the intersection of recovery and Clean Slate in this blog post by Alex Williams, Chief of Staff.

September 13, 2024, marks 30 years since President Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a bill that overwhelmingly increased the number of people living with records. That bill serves as a sobering reminder of the impact a president can have on our legal system. Read more in this blog post by Sheena Meade, CEO.

The support and success behind Clean Slate continue to grow — but it’s not happening by chance. There’s a comprehensive, multi-year strategy behind the work that we do. That strategy is laid out in our Strategic Plan in detail, available on our website, and it involves a few key elements that propel this movement forward every day. Learn more in this blog post by our Chief of Staff, Alex Williams.

Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative, addresses campaign strategists, the media, and the general public in an open letter, urging careful consideration of the language used in the final few months of the presidential race.

On June 13 and 14, 2024, over 300 Clean Slate advocates from around the country gathered in Philadelphia for two days of learning and making connections at The Clean Slate Initiative’s 2024 Annual Convening. From the knowledge-sharing sessions to the networking opportunities to the planning for future campaigns, attendees truly embodied the event’s theme: Learning, Leading, and Going for More!

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced executive actions granting pardons for misdemeanor convictions for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The move comes two weeks before the state is expected to remove misdemeanor cannabis convictions from the state’s Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS), which is slated to happen on July 1, 2024.

This year’s 2024 Annual Convening were in for a special treat. We had the pleasure of partnering with directly impacted artists and authors to spotlight their work with our Clean Slate community, and we’re honored to be able to feature them here.

Research conducted in partnership with CSI was recently published as a working paper titled, “Can you Erase the Mark of a Criminal Record? Labor Market Impacts of Criminal Record Remediation” by Amanda Agan (Rutgers University) and several colleagues. Learn more in this blog post from Dr. Laura Chavez and Dr. Amanda Agan.

In May, CSI’s CEO Sheena Meade was invited to Cheyney University — the nation’s first HBCU — to receive an Honorary Doctor of Public Service in recognition of the work that she’s done to reform our justice system and deliver second chances. Read more in this blog post from Sheena.

At CSI, our work extends far beyond passing and implementing laws; it's also about fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment for the communities and individuals who are looking to receive a Clean Slate. That’s why we organized a volunteer experience for our team to support expungement clinics during Second Chance Month. Read more in this blog post from Jibria White, Operations Manager.

Every once in a while, an event comes along that you shouldn’t miss. If you’re in (or interested in) Clean Slate work, The Clean Slate Initiative’s 2024 Annual Convening is one of those events. Here are 5 reasons why you should register to attend today.

The 12 states that have already passed Clean Slate laws are the proof in the pudding: the momentum behind Clean Slate is fueled by the state partners who propel it forward every day. Get the latest updates on our active campaign states in this blog post by Erik Altieri, Interim Director of Campaigns.

The stories below highlight a few directly impacted people who are involved in Clean Slate work across the country. Take a few moments to read through their stories and learn more about the impact of redemption… because it’s about much #MoreThanSecondChances.

To truly become people-centric, government agencies, organizations, and employers must humanize the hiring process. This means reflecting on the barriers faced by many and taking actionable steps to dismantle these obstacles. Policy changes are a start, but the real test is in their implementation. Learn more in this blog post from Sha Shikhmuradova, CSI’s Director of Talent and Culture.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s mission includes not only passing Clean Slate policies but also ensuring they are implemented so that automatic record clearance becomes a reality for millions of people in America. While clearing arrest and conviction records can include technical hurdles, those hurdles aren’t insurmountable — especially with the right people at the table.

That’s why The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is pulling together the right mix of experts to learn how to address any implementation hurdles and build upon learnings from states as we go. One of those valued partnerships is with Code for America.