Illinois recently joined 12 other states and the District of Columbia in passing Clean Slate Legislation. For places interested in maximizing labor force participation, this means proactively expunging criminal records of people who are already eligible but unable or unlikely to have the time and money it takes to navigate the process. Clean Slate states improve access to jobs, to training programs, and to housing for individuals. In Illinois, the latest state to pass a version of the legislation, there are an estimated 2.2 million people eligible for records expungement, but only 6,000 per year complete the process.To be clear, the primary idea behind these laws is to make arrest and conviction record expungement automatic, not to loosen the criteria or decriminalize. Criteria vary by state, but generally apply to people who have been arrested but not convicted or who have completed sentences for misdemeanors and some non-violent felonies.
The Clean Slate Initiative compiles state program information, conducts research, and provides information for legislators. Their data dashboard displays information on every state that demonstrate the potentially eligible population. By their estimate 90% of employers, 94% of landlords, and 72% of universities use background checks to screen out individuals with criminal records, and do not consider whether or not those records are eligible for expungement.
Is your state one of the original 13? Check out you state’s profile here.