“Erasing” a record means the record is removed from criminal record electronic databases and will not show up if, for instance, a landlord or employer conducts a background check.
So what are we talking about when we talk about Clean Slate? For the ACLU of Connecticut, “Clean Slate” is automatic record erasure after a defined period of time, for anyone living with a criminal record, with anti-discrimination protections. Fundamentally, Clean Slate is about providing a light at the end of the tunnel for people who are dealing with the collateral consequences of a record – inability to find housing, employment, education, or even insurance or financial products, based solely on a scarlet letter from their past. But Clean Slate does have one unifying principle: the idea that every person living with a criminal record who has earned the chance to be in society deserves a fair chance at supporting themselves and their families. The mechanics of those laws are different from state to state.
If you’re paying attention to Connecticut’s legislative session, you’ve probably heard the term “Clean Slate.” By joining the conversation about Clean Slate, Connecticut is entering a national movement – Utah, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have passed Clean Slate laws.