Clean slate laws boost employment housing access among formerly incarcerated

Logan Seacrest, resident fellow for criminal justice and civil liberties at the center-right think tank R Street Institute, said most states rely on a petition-based system to expunge old criminal records, which is complex and expensive. He explained when people cannot clear their records, they are less likely to get a job or find safe housing.

“Most reasonable people would agree that a single error shouldn’t permanently define one’s future,” Seacrest pointed out. “Yet the current system we have in most states, even a minor conviction, something like a DUI or a nonviolent drug offense, can have lifelong ramifications.”

Earlier this year West Virginia lawmakers considered legislation which would have expanded eligibility for expungement to individuals who did complete successful rehabilitation programs or individuals enrolled in some type of diversionary program but the bill did not make it through the legislature.

Seacrest noted research shows one of the best ways to reduce recidivism is to help former offenders secure meaningful employment. He added there are economic benefits for some of the nation’s largest employers.

“It’s been hard for companies to hire good people,” Seacrest observed. “Actually, people who get employment after a conviction, through a clean slate, are no less likely to quit early.”