Author name: Paper Prisons

Senators hope to change state law allowing for automatic expungement (Mar. 25, 2024)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Fox2Now) – 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 […]

Clean Slate Laws are Spreading (March 25, 2024)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (SHRM)- Individuals with old criminal records have a greater chance of employment in the growing number of states—now 12—with clean slate laws. As these laws spread, more employers may benefit from a talent pool they haven’t tapped much before. “Employers need to understand that there is a growing trend throughout the country to

Maryland Clean Slate Act Proposed to Streamline Record Expungement Process (Feb. 21, 2024)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBOC) — 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

New York’s clean slate reforms offer former offenders a second chance (Feb. 15, 2024)

NEW YORK (Reason Foundation) – 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

Implementing Equality: Packed Symposium Addresses California Racial Justice Act (Feb. 13, 2024)

BEKELEY, Ca. (Berkeley Law) – 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

Berkeley Law: Packed Symposium Addresses California Racial Justice Act (Feb. 13, 2024)

BERKELEY, Ca. (By: Andrew Cohen) – Berkeley Law highlights the inaugural California Racial Justice Act Symposium, in which Berkeley Law Professor, Colleen Chien, talks about the Paper Prisons Initiative to address the gap between eligibility for relief from the criminal justice system and actually gaining that relief. Link to Berkeley Law article here Link to YouTube video

Clean Slate Paper Prisons 2024 Roundup (Feb. 1, 2024)

With the start of the new year, Paper Prisons has posted research reports on the “second chance gap” in expungement remedies offered under the laws of Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Kentucky. We find that in each state, only a fraction of people eligible for relief are getting it. We further estimate the number of people

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