70 million people living with a criminal record face lifelong barriers to opportunity for them and their families. Employers, landlords, and colleges that use background checks discover past convictions and rule out ex-offenders from having a chance. And to make matters worse, children of those with a criminal record don’t have as many educational opportunities and are believed to have hindered cognitive development. Many states allow people to petition for expungement or sealing of certain types of records, but only a small fraction of people get the relief they need from their pasts. The Clean Slate Initiative aims to fix this broken system by removing the barriers, getting people back to work, and opening the door to opportunity. State partners over the next few years will launch legislative efforts to automate record clearing, expand eligibility, and support implementation. Pennsylvania has seen success already, with 35 million cases and 47.3 million offenses sealed from public view, providing relief for more than 1.15 million Pennsylvanians.
