Roundtable on Second Chances: The Clean Slate Solution

At The Clean Slate Initiative’s 2025 Convening in Chicago, I had the honor of moderating a conversation that’s stayed with me ever since — and I’m excited to share that you can be part of that conversation, too. The Roundtable on Second Chances: Clean Slate Solution is now available to watch on CSI’s YouTube channel.

This conversation brought together a handful of passionate leaders who are working on Clean Slate and expanding access to real second chances for millions of people in America. We talked about what second chances mean, why automated record sealing matters, and how this work changes lives — including our own.

Meet The Panelists:

• Dr. Nyron Crawford, Associate Professor of Political Science, Temple University
• Ames Grawert, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice
• Joshua Hoe, Senior Policy Manager, Dream.org
• Noella Sudbury, Founder & CEO, Rasa Legal

Whether the concept of Clean Slate’s automated record sealing is new to you, or you’re a partner deeply embedded in this work, this conversation offers a moment to listen, learn, and reflect.

It’s a good opportunity to think about the sheer impact of this work: how we’ve gotten to 16+ million people who are eligible for full or partial record sealing in the 12 states, and Washington D.C., that have passed Clean Slate laws.

It’s also an important reminder that there’s still so much left to do: expanding that access to millions more people in America by bringing Clean Slate to all 50 states, passing Clean Slate laws to help people with federal records, and monitoring implementation to ensure that the promise of Clean Slate laws is kept.

🎬 I invite you to watch the video and share your own perspectives in the comments. Let’s keep the conversation going.