Clean Slate Toolkit
JOIN THE CLEAN SLATE MOVEMENT: BRING CLEAN SLATE TO YOUR STATE!
CLEAN SLATE TOOLKIT
Why Record Clearing? Why Clean Slate?
Record clearing is the best way to resolve the unjust, lifelong, and destructive consequences of a criminal record. But traditional petition-based record clearing is plagued with barriers that keep people from obtaining record clearing, even when they are eligible. The solution to this problem is Clean Slate, a concept that was introduced by Sharon Dietrich and Rebecca Vallas in 2014 in their paper “One Strike and You’re Out.”
Research
Research should be central to any Clean Slate campaign. Pioneering research by J.J. Prescott, Sonja Starr, and Colleen Chien show that only a small percentage of eligible record-holders petition for record clearing. We follow Dr. Chien’s lead and call the gap between eligibility and uptake the “second chance gap.”
Legislative Strategy
Learn how record clearing expansions and Clean Slate laws were passed in Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan.
Technical Challenges, Technical Solutions
Understanding and implementing Clean Slate record clearing requires some technical expertise. Hear from technical experts about how Clean Slate can work with the records repository in your state. Find out how to solve the thorny problem of keeping cleared records off of background checks.
Other Toolkits and Resources
- Clean Slate Communications Tool-Kit, Clean Slate Initiative (CSI)
- Clean Slate Toolkit, Center for American Progress (CAP)
- National Record Clearing Project (CLS)
Implementing Clean Slate
Effective implementation of Clean Slate means that millions of people can benefit from record clearing. Learn what Pennsylvania has done to implement Clean Slate effectively.
Join Us
Are you an advocate looking to connect to other record clearing advocates? Join our National Record Clearing Project
