“Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed budget includes $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds for the state’s delayed ‘clean slate’ effort. Clean slate — a series of laws expected to go into full effect on Jan. 1 until a delay was announced in early December — will erase the criminal records of people with certain low-level convictions. […]
“The November election scrambled the politics of crime in Minnesota. Republican campaigns were hyper-focused on the issue, which followed years of rising violent crime and frequent — and at times sensationalist — media coverage. Democrats ran the table in November anyway. A legislative session that many expected to focus on tougher criminal penalties and lots of
BY KAYODE CROWN “Over a decade ago ago, nine of Kimberly Harris’ acquaintances told the police she burglarized a neighbor’s house in Jackson, Miss. After her arrest, the police released her because “there was no evidence.” Her accusers later went to jail for “false accusation,” Harris, now 38 years old, told the Mississippi Free Press in
By Rebecca Rivas “Missourians would be eligible to have their criminal records automatically cleared of misdemeanor convictions three years after serving their sentence, and five years after serving their sentence for felonies. An estimated 518,000 Missourians would benefit within the first couple of years. Crista Hogan estimates tens of thousands of people in Greene County are
“Missourians would be eligible to have their criminal records automatically cleared of misdemeanor convictions three years after serving their sentence, and five years after serving their sentence for felonies. An estimated 518,000 Missourians would benefit within the first couple of years. If people want quicker results, they would be able to use the existing petition
“With full implementation of Connecticut’s clean slate law delayed until late 2023, advocates and lawmakers are urging Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration for more transparency on the law recently passed to help hundreds of thousands of mostly Black residents who still feel the punishing effects of crimes they committed years ago. Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut, Sen.
by Claudia Levens “Missouri’s burdensome process for seeking an expungement has rendered record sealing inaccessible for many who are working in low-wage jobs without bargaining power. Under Missouri’s expungement law, people who have committed certain crimes have the opportunity to get those offenses sealed. When the court seals or expunges a criminal record, it is no longer
” Activists and experts say the newly elected first female governor of New York State has plenty of promises to deliver on when it comes to prisoner’s rights and clemency. BY REUVEN BLAU RBLAU@THECITY.NYC After months of largely staying quiet during the unexpectedly competitive governor’s race, not wanting to give fuel to her right-wing opponent, criminal justice
“Cook County is home to an estimated 1.3 million people with criminal records — those records can sometimes limit people from certain jobs, housing or even educational opportunities. The Paper Prisons Initiative estimates more than 500,000 of them are eligible to have those records cleared, but advocates say that’s not happening for many of them.”
Erica Gunderson ” Economic sanctions. Collateral consequences. Permanent punishments. There are 44,000 restrictive federal laws, rules, and policies that continue to penalize people long after they have served their sentence in prison. Permanent Punishment, a four-part series, examines this stark reality faced by nearly 3.3 million men and women in Illinois. Cook County is home to