The Clean Slate Initiative

10/07/2026

Our latest research, “The Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records,” is featured in Capital B Atlanta’s reporting on Bridgette Simpson and Charlotte Garnes, two Directly Impacted leaders working to expand opportunities for people with records in Georgia.

After losing a job because of her conviction record, Garnes founded Renforce to help people with records access employment through training, coaching, and professional development.

Simpson, co-founder of Barred Business , is working on legislation to protect people with records from employment and housing discrimination. Her proposal would require consideration of the charges and whether someone was convicted, rather than allowing rejection simply for having a record.

The article connects their experiences to our research, which estimates that arrest and conviction records are associated with $18.5 billion in lost annual earnings in Georgia. It also features insights from CSI Data Scientist Liz Johnson on how those losses affect families and communities.

Read the full article to learn more about Simpson’s and Garnes’ efforts to expand access to economic opportunity: https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/black-women-fighting-to-make-life-after-prison-easier/

10/07/2026

10/06/2026

With a new strategic plan guiding our next phase of growth, The Clean Slate Initiative is hiring a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) to help expand access to second chances across the country.

The new CMO will set the Marketing and Communications department’s strategic direction, and ensure the team has the structure, resources, and clarity to deliver on them.

The CFAO will create an integrated strategy across finance, grants administration, talent and culture, and operations, ensuring these functions work together seamlessly to support CSI’s mission and growth.

Learn more and apply here: cleanslateinitiative.org/careers

10/05/2026

10/02/2026

This fall’s calendar is packed with two Second Chance Circuit clinics and a Trick or Treat Resource Fair. In Utah, Clean Slate Utah and partners are hosting a family-friendly event with free legal, health, and wellness resources. In Missouri, 3 Daughters & 1000 Sons and partners are hosting a free expungement clinic where eligible attendees can speak with an attorney and get help with paperwork. In Ohio, the Akron Urban League is hosting an Expungement Day for eligible misdemeanor cases.

If you can't attend, consider sharing this post to someone in your network who may benefit.

Swipe to explore what's coming, and sign up for our mailing list for monthly second chance event roundups: https://www.cleanslateinitiative.org/email-signup

10/02/2026

Virginia… it’s clean slate automatic implementation day! We tried/wanted a lot more offenses to be eligible for automatic sealing but the compromise made amongst the legislators was for 8 of the most commonly charged offenses.

It has been such a long time coming

~ Check your record at courts.state.virginia
~ Understand what it shows
~ Virginia State Police will begin to automatically seal the following eligible records under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.6, once a 7 year crime-free waiting period has passed:
• Petit Larceny
• Shoplifting / Concealment
• Trespass (including instigating trespass, on posted property, and after forbidden)
• Disorderly Conduct
• Misdemeanor Distribution of Ma*****na
• Possession of Ma*****na (criminal and civil offenses)
• Misdemeanor Non-Convictions at case conclusion (such as acquittals or dismissals)
• Certain Traffic Infractions

A person cannot have an ineligible conviction from the same date of arrest or charge that blocks the automatic process.

Do not assume that every old record is automatically sealed, the best way to know for sure is to order a copy of your Virginia state background for $15 from a Virginia State Police

🎥 WSLS 10

10/01/2026

⚙️ Today marks the next phase of Virginia’s Clean Slate implementation!

Starting today, automated record sealing expands in the Commonwealth, creating a pathway for eligible records to be sealed without requiring people to initiate the process themselves.

Virginia’s Clean Slate implementation is rolling out in three phases: petition-based record sealing began in July, automated record sealing expands today, and additional updates to Virginia’s expungement process will take effect on December 1st.

An estimated 415,000 Virginians stand to benefit from full or partial record sealing under the Commonwealth’s Clean Slate law.

Implementation is where policy becomes reality. As Virginia continues rolling out Clean Slate throughout 2026, ensuring people understand their eligibility and know the status of their records will be essential to delivering on the law’s promise.

Swipe through to learn what changes today, how automated record sealing works, and what’s coming next.

📖 Read the full update: https://www.cleanslateinitiative.org/updates/va-implementation

09/28/2026

$440 billion in estimated lost earnings every year.

That’s how much The Clean Slate Initiative estimates arrest and conviction records are associated with lost annual earnings nationwide.

Behind that number are millions of people facing barriers to participating fully in the workforce — and consequences that extend beyond individual paychecks to families, communities, and our broader economy.

Keeping millions of working-age people from fully participating in the labor market represents a major economic inefficiency.

Clean Slate automated record sealing policies can help reduce unnecessary record-related barriers to employment and expand access to economic opportunity for people with eligible records. When more people have a fair chance to participate in the workforce, our communities and economy can benefit, too.

Read The Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records at thecollectivecost.org.

09/22/2026

What happens when a mistake from years ago keeps standing between someone and a job, a home, or even volunteering at their child’s school?

In this episode of The Government Fix, our CEO Sheena Meade discusses how automated record sealing can help expand access to opportunity. Together, they explore how technology and policy can create second chances at scale, why this work has united lawmakers across the political spectrum, and what it means to build a government that helps people move forward instead of holding them back.

Listen to the full episode here: https://hubs.ly/Q04y2M3D0

09/21/2026

MYTH: Only people with felony convictions experience lasting negative consequences.

REALITY: Even arrest and non-conviction records, where no guilt was ever established, are associated with long-term economic losses.

Our latest research found that people with arrest and non-conviction records experienced lower employment, fewer weeks worked, and an estimated $4,400 less in expected annual earnings compared with their statistically similar peers. Over 14 prime working years, the estimated earnings penalty adds up to approximately $72,000.

By helping fill an important gap in what we know about arrest and non-conviction records, this research provides further evidence of the need for Clean Slate policies that expand access to record sealing and reduce barriers to economic opportunity.

Read The Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records to explore the full findings: thecollectivecost.org