Southern Poverty Law Center

Western Native Voice

We will automate and expand eligibility for record clearance across the country, impacting millions of people.

The Clean Slate Initiative works to expand and automate the sealing of arrest and conviction records after people have completed their sentence and remained crime-free for a period of time - believing everyone should have a shot at redemption.   

We are a national, bipartisan non-profit organization that builds advocacy campaigns where local, state, and national partners operate with the shared goal of passing Clean Slate laws in states and in Congress.

Through partnerships, collaboration, and coordinated advocacy campaigns, the Clean Slate Initiative unites businesses, advocates, community members, and impacted people across the country.

We support state-based campaigns with the goal of passing laws that ensure conviction and non-conviction records are automatically sealed once someone has completed their sentence and remained crime-free for a period of time. 

The Clean Slate Initiative supports campaigns that have clear goals, well-thought-out strategies, and a vision for building a base of support that can defend and sustain policy wins.

Since this initiative’s inception, we have helped pass legislation that provides a path for: 

- 2.3 million people to have at least one conviction or non-conviction cleared;

- 7.3 million conviction and non-conviction cases to be cleared; and

- 2 million people to receive full record clearance.

You may wonder - why is there a need for Clean Slate Initiatives? Here are the facts: 

1 in 3 adults in the United States have an arrest or conviction record that limits their ability to work, obtain housing, and engage in civic life. Having a record, even an arrest record, is a significant barrier to economic mobility. 

- 9 in 10 employers use background checks when hiring.

- 4 in 5 landlords use background checks on prospective tenants.

- 3 in 5 colleges and universities use background checks on prospective students.

There are more than 44,000 collateral consequences that limit the ability of people with a record to access meaningful opportunities to build a better life. Our work focuses on automating the process to remove those barriers, providing a real second chance for the millions who are currently impacted by an arrest or conviction record. 





The Clean Slate Initiative

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We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

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