Giving Compass' Take:

• The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is joining 25 other groups to launch 'clean slate,' a criminal justice campaign that promotes automatic record-cleaning after a set period of time. 

• How will this help expand the rights and access to opportunity for individuals with criminal records but who are not a threat to society? 

• Read about how 70MillionJobs is helping people with criminal records gain job opportunities. 

At a time when right and left agree on very little, today, a diverse group of more than 25 groups from across the political spectrum came together to launch a new national bipartisan criminal justice campaign known as “clean slate.”

Following decades of overcriminalization in the United States, between 70 million and 100 million—or 1 in 3—Americans now have some type of criminal record. In the digital era, with nearly 9 in 10 employers now using criminal background checks, any criminal record—no matter how old or minor—can be a life sentence to poverty.

Tens of millions of individuals are eligible to have their records expunged or sealed in court. But the complex process for filing a record-clearing petition—not to mention the exorbitant legal costs—means the vast majority never get the relief they need and deserve, a problem increasingly known as the second chance gap.

A new policy called clean slate offers a technological solution: automated record-clearing for people who remain crime-free for a set period of time. Bipartisan clean slate legislation was signed into law in Pennsylvania in June 2018, with the support of a diverse coalition that brought together the left and the right, as well as directly affected communities, business, law enforcement, and even professional athletes.

Automatic record-clearing is about removing barriers to opportunity and giving people a fair shot at a fresh start,” said David Plouffe, head of policy and advocacy at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. “On the heels of this deeply partisan election, clean slate is something we can all agree on. If we want America to succeed, we can’t leave up to one-third of our citizens behind—people who have made a mistake, been held accountable, and want to contribute should have that chance.”

Read the full article about clean state initiative at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative