By Shaunak Chaudhary, a Master’s Graduate in Computer Science from Santa Clara University and a member of the Paper Prisons tech team. As an international student from India studying in California, my journey in the United States has been a mix of excitement, opportunities, and challenges. One of the most significant challenges has been navigating […]
By Colleen Chien, Founder of the Paper Prisons Initiative On June 19, 1865, US soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas – the last corner of the Confederacy – to announce that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved Americans were now free. In the two years prior, slave owners quietly and strategically delayed the news
We are excited to announce that the beta version of our new tool for exploring racial disparities in the criminal justice system under the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA) is now live at paperprisons.org/rja! You can start using the tool immediately to access and analyze data on arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing across counties in California. Please
The North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee approved a bill on Wednesday that would repeal automatic expungements of “not guilty” or “dismissed” charges from criminal records. The committee approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 565 on a voice vote. As NC Newsline previously reported, the original bill proposed to restart automatic expungements the legislature approved in
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (By: KY3 Staff) — 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
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
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.
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
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
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