JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) — Missouri lawmakers are discussing a way to make it easier for those eligible to have their criminal records wiped clean. The policy is called “Clean Slate.” The organization behind the push says only about 1% of eligible convicts are able to successfully get their records expunged because the process is… Continue reading Missouri lawmakers discuss “Clean Slate” bill, making it easier for wiping clean criminal records (Mar. 28, 2024)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two bipartisan lawmakers are pushing to help more than half a million Missourians have their arrest and conviction records expunged. Supporters say the purpose of this bill is to provide a second chance. Right now, the state allows for certain minor offenses to be expunged but requires the offender to apply… Continue reading Senators hope to change state law allowing for automatic expungement (Mar. 25, 2024)

The Clean Slate campaign is backing four Missouri bills, which all provide for a more automated expungement process for low-level offenses. More than a half-million Missourians could have their arrest and conviction records expunged of minor offenses if either of two Senate and two House bills, supported by the Missouri Clean Slate Initiative, are passed.… Continue reading Thousands of Missourians could have criminal records sealed under Clean Slate Initiative (Mar. 14, 2024)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A proposed Maryland Senate Bill, the Maryland Clean Slate Act of 2024, aims to simplify the process of record expungement for individuals with criminal records. The bill was brought before the State Judicial Proceedings Committee today for a hearing. According to the Maryland Paper Prisons Initiative, approximately 1 million adults in… Continue reading Maryland Clean Slate Act Proposed to Streamline Record Expungement Process (Feb. 21, 2024)

Encouraging people to lead law-abiding lives following punishment for a crime becomes challenging when a criminal record interferes with their ability to get a job or rent an apartment years after they’ve paid their debt to society. To promote effective reintegration, New York recently joined states like California, Michigan, and New Jersey in adopting ‘clean… Continue reading New York’s clean slate reforms offer former offenders a second chance (Feb. 15, 2024)

More than 500 people registered for Berkeley Law’s recent California Racial Justice Act Symposium, which examined the 2020 Act’s early implementation and implications.  Presented by the school’s Criminal Law & Justice Center and Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, the event welcomed expert lawyers, computer scientists, scholars, government officials, criminal justice nonprofit leaders, students, and others who probed a wide swath… Continue reading Implementing Equality: Packed Symposium Addresses California Racial Justice Act (Feb. 13, 2024)

BERKELEY, Calif. (CN) — In the two years since California passed the Racial Justice Act, attorneys and public defenders say there has been slow progress toward criminal justice reform and pursuit of a less biased system.  University of California, Berkeley’s Criminal Law and Justice Center and the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law hosted a symposium… Continue reading California criminal justice system moving slowly to confront biases, discrimination (Feb. 2, 2024)

Though Minnesota already had an expungement act, the process proved too costly for many. On top of fees that could rise above $300, the procedure also took too long. These issues meant that few eligible individuals attempted expungement. A study by Santa Clara University found that only 5% of eligible Minnesota residents had their records expunged,… Continue reading Minnesota Legislators Address Benefits of New Expungement Law (Nov. 7, 2023)