Since Clean Slate took effect on June 28, Pennsylvania courts have been sealing cases on a scale never seen before. These cases are identified and sealed through an automated process, without any hearing in court or any extra fees. On the 15th of each month, the Administrative Office of the Courts sends out a new list of cases that must be sealed by the courts. With the most recent batch, Pennsylvania’s sealing tally is now up to forty million cases.
Forty million is more than just an impressive number. Each of those cases creates the potential for progress in a person’s life. Take Khalia, who was arrested in 2006 for a low-level counterfeiting charge. Even though she was never convicted and was actually innocent, she still had a record. She worried that employers would view her as a thief, so she avoided applying for the jobs she really wanted.
Read Khalia's story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sealing was the key to changing Khalia’s path. Khalia’s arrest record was sealed through Clean Slate automation. With her record sealed, Khalia had the confidence to apply for a job at a prestigious consulting firm - and she landed that job! Khalia believes this opportunity would not have come her way without Clean Slate. For Khalia, having a sealed record “means a future without judgment.”