Updates from CSI

We are thrilled to announce that CSI has received a landmark financial commitment through The Audacious Project — an historic step toward fully-funding our six-year plan to clear records for an additional 6-8 million people. Read more in this blog post.

In partnership with the Clean Slate Initiative, SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, conducted an analysis of record clearance policies in 11 states, and put their findings together in a report that outlines what’s working, what needs work, and where states can go from here.

This year marks the seventh consecutive year recognizing April as Second Chance Month.

Ensuring people with an arrest or conviction record have meaningful second chances is important. And in recent years, Clean Slate legislation has emerged as a powerful tool to ensure everyone has a shot at redemption.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s bipartisan endeavor has been successful in passing and implementing laws that automate government record-sealing processes to automatically seal records for those who are eligible.

We need your help to ensure the progress continues.

Use our Second Chance Month Toolkit to show your support of Clean Slate efforts this month. We invite you to use the content in our toolkit as-is or as inspiration for your own content throughout Second Chance Month.

In a short time, we’ve gone from being an ambitious campaign to a rapidly-growing organization, and there’s so much more to come. Learn more in this update about The Clean Slate Initiative’s growth.

The end of a year is a natural time for reflection — so let's take a moment to reflect on all the incredible things we accomplished together in 2022.

I am sharing this message with mixed emotions: Erin George, National Campaigns Manager for Clean Slate Initiative has transitioned out of our organization and into what is a dream role for her. Erin has moved into a leadership role as National Director of Policy at The Bail Project, and I am so excited for her new chapter.

As we honor those who served in our armed forces this Veteran’s Day, I think about how we can serve our veterans as well as they have served us. Learn more in this blog post by Sheena Meade.

In September 2022, California became the eighth state to enact a Clean Slate law when Governor Gavin Newsome signed Senate Bill 731 (SB 731). The bill expands automatic and petition-based record sealing for a range of offenses, which opens the door for record relief for over a million people.

The Clean Slate Initiative will premiere a new video in its Storytellers series on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of National Expungement Week. The videos were captured at our Annual Convening in Detroit, MI, in May of 2022.

On June 1, 2022, the New York State Senate passed Clean Slate legislation that will automate the record sealing process for certain offenses, allowing more New Yorkers to earn a living, support themselves and their families, and positively contribute to their communities.

Last week, partners from across the country gathered in Detroit for the Clean Slate Initiative’s First Annual Convening. While we certainly did our fair share of celebrating Clean Slate victories, the Convening focused on building the movement’s future.

In April 2022, The Clean Slate Initiative and the Center for American Progress convened a panel of criminal justice policy experts to discuss how automatic record clearance laws improve community safety by increasing employment and opportunities that reduce recidivism and crime.