What is the Clean Slate program?
Also called Project Clean Slate, the Clean Slate program is a campaign that encourages government agencies to expunge or delete criminal records for certain nonviolent offenses after a person has served their sentence and stayed crime-free for a set period of time.
The Clean Slate Initiative is a nonprofit group that raises awareness about Project Clean Slate and advocates for the passing of legislation to institute Clean Slate programs. Legislation typically puts in place a framework for automatically sealing criminal records and establishes eligibility requirements.
Clean Slate programs can further efforts to institute fair chance hiring policies, programs that help people with criminal records secure employment. Another example of fair chance hiring includes ban-the-box initiatives, which prohibit asking candidates if they have been convicted of a crime on job applications.
Read more: What Is Fair Chance Hiring?
How does the Clean Slate program affect employers?
The Clean Slate program affects the background check process. In areas where Clean Slate legislation has been enacted, a background check won’t reveal previous convictions that have been sealed.
Although some employers may worry this change to background checks may make it more difficult to promote workplace safety, research shows thatrates of repeat offenses among individuals who have their records expunged are low.
Related: Security and Safety in the Office: 13 Considerations
What are the benefits of the Clean State program?
The Clean Slate program offers a number of potential benefits for candidates, employers and the government. Some benefits may include:
Lower rates of recidivism
People with a history of convictions may be more likely to return to criminal activities if they’re unable to make a living and afford essentials, such as housing and food. By clearing certain convictions, Clean Slate programs help give individuals a path to employment and economic security, which may discourage future criminal behaviors.
Improved hiring process
During times when unemployment is low, employers have access to a larger pool of quality candidates in areas where Clean Slate programs are in effect. As a result, positions may fill more quickly, and employers are less likely to face staffing shortages.
Increased workplace diversity
Clean Slate programs expand the field of quality candidates and make it possible for individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds to seek employment. For employers, this can lead to more diverse hires and a more inclusive workplace.
Related: 5 Advantages of Diversity in the Workplace
What Clean Slate legislation exists?
As of July 2023, there was one Clean Slate bill under consideration at the federal level, and multiple states had enacted Clean Slate legislation.
The Clean Slate Act
Introduced in 2021, The Clean Slate Act is a bill that would institute a Clean Slate program at the federal level. If passed, the bill would require criminal records for simple possession of a controlled substance, nonviolent offenses involving marijuana and arrests that don’t result in a conviction to be automatically sealed. It would also allow individuals who meet eligibility criteria to apply to have their records sealed.
As of July 2023, the bill had not yet been moved to committee for debate, and it’s unclear if it will in the future.
State laws
As of July 2023, 12 states had passed Clean Slate laws. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia. The details of these laws vary, but they all allow for the automatic clearing of certain criminal records for eligible individuals.
