Attorney General Keith Ellison will be hosting a clinic in north Minneapolis this week to help eligible people get their criminal records wiped clean. The AG is working with New Justice Project and the Pathways to True Freedom Foundation on the clinic, which is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at 1101 W. Broadway, Minneapolis,… Continue reading Attorney General Keith Ellison to hold a clinic to clear criminal records (Oct. 30, 2023)
More states pushing ‘Clean Slate’ legislation to clear former convicts (Jun. 2, 2023)
The Clean Slate Act takes various forms in different states, but generally the legislation seals the criminal records of former prisoners after they’ve served their time. New York’s Clean Slate Act bill would automatically seal the records of offenders who have served their sentence plus stayed out of trouble for several years afterward — three years… Continue reading More states pushing ‘Clean Slate’ legislation to clear former convicts (Jun. 2, 2023)
CrimProfBlog: Chien et al. on Expungement (Apr. 26, 2023)
On April 26, 2023, the CrimProfBlog, edited by Professor Kevin Cole of the University of San Diego School of Law highlights Paper Prisons and Second Chance research on Minnesota’s Second Chance Expungement Gap, Texas’ Second Chance Non-Disclosure/Sealing Gap, Illinois’ Second Chance Expungement/Sealing Gap, and Missouri’s Second Chance Expungement Gap.
TED: How “second chance” laws could transform the US justice system (Apr. 21, 2023)
Sheena Meade’s powerful TED Talk makes the case for Clean Slate based on Paper Prisons’ research “30 million people are eligible to get their record cleared…Less than 10 percent of those people actually get it done.”
2023 Paper Prisons’ State Reports Roundup
The 2023 Legislative session is in full swing and Paper Prisons has produced research that has been cited in several ongoing campaigns. Below we highlight key findings from our reports on the “second chance gap” in expungement remedies offered under the laws of Missouri, Oregon, Illinois, Texas, Minnesota, and New York: A summary of the… Continue reading 2023 Paper Prisons’ State Reports Roundup
Public Defenseless Podcast (Apr. 18, 2023)
On April 18, 2023, the Public Defenseless Podcast hosted Professor Colleen Chien and law student Alyssa Aguilar from Santa Clara University to discuss the Paper Prisons Initiative. The podcast starts by discussing the speakers’ motivations (5:30). Professor Chien discussed founding the Initiative after her research was validated by the experience of seeing numerous mentees and… Continue reading Public Defenseless Podcast (Apr. 18, 2023)
Sentencing Law & Policy (Blog): Proving Actionable Racial Disparity Under the California Racial Justice Act (Apr. 1, 2023)
On Apr. 1, 2023, the Sentencing Law & Policy Blog highlighted “Proving Actionable Racial Disparity Under the California Racial Justice Act” (draft paper). Link to Article
Our Town: Criminal Justice Reforms Not Expected to Make It Out of Albany Budget Talks (Mar. 31, 2023)
Although Clean State reform looks unlikely to pass the New York legislature, Our Town highlights the case for Clean Slate based on Paper Prisons’ research that a Clean Slate Bill “would seal past criminal records up to 1.4 million people, according to one estimate by the Paper Prisons Initiative of Santa Clara University.”
Paper Prisons’ Testimony at California Penal Committee Hearing on CA Racial Justice Act (Mar. 27, 2023)
On March 27, 2023, the California Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code held a hearing on the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA) (recording here*, RJA portion starts at 52:02). Paper Prisons founder, Professor Colleen Chien testified before the committee about the data infrastructure supporting implementation of the CRJA , alongside Chief Assistant District… Continue reading Paper Prisons’ Testimony at California Penal Committee Hearing on CA Racial Justice Act (Mar. 27, 2023)
Here’s what to know about CT’s ‘clean slate’ law, which erases some criminal records (Mar. 27, 2023)
“Connecticut’s ‘clean slate’ law, which is designed to erase certain criminal records after a period of time, took effect earlier this year but has yet to be fully implemented. Here’s what to know about the law.” “The legislation will automatically erase criminal records seven years after the date of a conviction for a misdemeanor or 10 years… Continue reading Here’s what to know about CT’s ‘clean slate’ law, which erases some criminal records (Mar. 27, 2023)