Advocacy Spotlight: Driving Support for Federal Clean Slate with a Week of Action

The Clean Slate Initiative's first-ever Clean Slate Week of Action elevated our federal priorities and demonstrated the profound power of federal Clean Slate support — even outside of Washington, D.C. 

Throughout the week of action (11/10 - 11/14), dedicated CSI advocates met with members of Congress and congressional staff in district offices across the country. They shared deeply moving personal stories and powerfully advocated for federal Clean Slate legislation: the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act.

Any time Clean Slate advocates have an opportunity to connect with their lawmakers, the impact is tangible. Face-to-face advocacy, especially in members of Congress’ home districts, helps build crucial support for Clean Slate and reminds these lawmakers that their own constituents care about these policies, too.

We extend a massive thank you to every single advocate who participated this week. Their willingness to share their experiences and lend their voices is part of what makes the Clean Slate community so special. 

Now, let’s hear from a few of the people who made our Week of Action week so powerful:

	Bill, Texas Bill met with the offices of Representatives Michael McCaul, Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), and Greg Casar (D-TX), and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). As Executive Director of Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation in Texas, Bill brought his values and his personal experiences to the table during those meetings — connecting with congressional staff on the importance of redemption and common-sense, bipartisan policies that benefit people in Texas and beyond. In a video Bill posted after one of his meetings, he encourages others to join in on the advocacy: “I just left Senator Ted Cruz’s office, and … they believe this is something that makes sense. Let’s see if we can make it a priority of theirs.”
	Latecia, Texas Latecia, Founder and Executive Director of Gateway Alliance Project in Dallas, TX, met with the district office staff of Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). She brought passion, intention, personal experience, and a reminder of the people power behind policies like Clean Slate: “The people want to end permanent punishments. The people want access. The people want safe and just communities.”
	Mary Kay, Ohio Mary Kay had a meeting with Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH)’s team, where she left feeling the impact of her advocacy for federal Clean Slate legislation: "I thought they had done their reviews of the bills and they were understanding of why this needed to be done."
	Nyene, New Jersey Nyene, Founder and CEO of Visionary Philanthropy Group, Inc., snapped a photo to spotlight his advocacy on behalf of federal Clean Slate legislation after great meetings with district staff of Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ). Reflecting on his meeting with Rep. Watson’s staff, Nyene shared “After I shared my personal story, he understood the impact these bills could have and why they matter so much.”
	Pauline, Mississippi Pauline, a dedicated advocate for second chances, met with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) to share her personal experience and how Clean Slate could benefit people in her community. In a video, she shared a recap of that meeting: “Today I met with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith to talk about Clean Slate in my community — how record sealing changes lives for people like me.” She also met with Representative Bennie Thompson, who committed to co-sponsoring the Clean Slate Act during their meeting. Pauline also took the opportunity to advocate for Clean Slate legislation in Mississippi, too, sharing a key takeaway from her meeting with Representative Bill Kinkad: where the former Corrections Committee Chair voiced support for Clean Slate, because he recognizes that "Mississippi needs to do something." Pauline’s advocacy was also featured on a segment of Mississippi’s The Daily Sip with Walt Grayson — available to watch on YouTube.
	Robert, California Robert met with Representative Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) staff, where he shared his personal story and the impact that having a record has had on his ability to find employment. “The nonprofit I was working for recently lost some of their grant funding. Now, it’s harder to find employment. What makes it hard for me? The record. The background check. Even though I was arrested over 23 years ago.”

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Other advocate meetings included: 

• Tyron, co-founder of Inside Out Peer Services, who met with Representative Troy Downing (R-MT)'s staff in Montana. Tyron shared that the meeting was met with positive conversation, shared understanding, and an opportunity to raise points about the issue that resonated with the Representative’s team. “[The staff member] was very receptive to our message and actually stated that he looks forward to passing this along to see how they can support the matter.”
  
  
• Ron, who met with Representative Mike Collins (R-GA)’s district staff in Georgia to ask for his support of federal Clean Slate legislation; and
  
  
• Larry, who met with the district staff of two members of Congress from Delaware to thank them for championing second chances: Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), one of the lead sponsors of both the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act in the Senate, and Representative Sarah McBride (D-DE), a co-sponsor of both the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act in the House.

The success of our first-ever Clean Slate Week of Action is a testament to the dedication and power of the Clean Slate community. We came closer to making federal Clean Slate a reality because of each advocate who took time out of their week to meet with their lawmakers, share their stories, and showcase the support behind the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act. Together, we can continue to build a groundswell of support for second chances at the federal level.

It’s time for a federal Clean Slate.

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If you’d like to take action to support the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start act, click the button below to send a message to your members of congress today.