The Clean Slate Initiative is working to clear the criminal records of 14 million people in the U.S., so that they can get a shot at a second chance in life.
Today, there are 30 million people in the U.S. who are eligible to have their records cleared, but only 10 percent of them will have the stamina to actually get it done. That’s because the process is so bureaucratic, costly, and full of red tape, that it’s nearly impossible.
Sheena Meade took to the TED2023 stage in Vancouver to proclaim that hope is not lost. Her organization, The Clean Slate Initiative, is working to implement Clean Slate legislation across America that allows for automatic record clearance as soon as people become eligible.
And the really good news is that they were just awarded a $75 million grant from TED’s Audacious Project to support a six-year strategy to pass Clean Slate legislation in 15 states - ultimately unlocking clear records for up to 14 million people. For example, Clean Slate legislation just took effect in Michigan, and it’s already cleared the records of nearly 850,000 people.
Why is this so important? With an arrest or conviction on your record, you can be denied a job, higher education, housing, and so much more. And in order to get your record expunged, current processes mean waiting years to qualify, taking time off work to appear in person to petition for record clearance, filing loads of paperwork, and paying large fees.
With Clean Slate legislation, the state simply clears your record automatically after a certain period of time has passed. As Sheena put it, these laws shift “the burden from the person who made the mistake to the system that tries to trap them in that mistake.”