Letters To The Editor: Reduce Harm

REDUCE HARM
Gov. Mike Parson’s veto of S.B. 189 blocked much-needed criminal justice system improvements for victims, professionals and the 1.9 million Missourians who face regular barriers because of an old, publicly available arrest or conviction record.

This is an opportunity for legislators to address the governor’s expungement concerns by modifying existing language from H.B. 352, which seeks to automate the process. Instead of petitioning for expungement, which fewer than 1% of eligible Missourians do, H.B. 352 would automatically seal certain records after a person has remained law-abiding for a specified number of years.

Expunging records benefits access to housing and employment while enhancing public safety and the economy. Employment outcomes improve quickly and significantly for people with expunged records, and they have extremely low rates of recidivism. Within one year of expungement, employment and wages jump 23%.The five-year recidivism rate of people with misdemeanor and felony expungements is under 5%.

Employment reduces recidivism, and the associated increase in workers and wages generate an estimated additional $131 million in state revenue each year.

The recent veto presents a second chance for legislators to get it right when it comes to automated expungement.

–Christi Smith, Resident senior fellow for criminal justice and civil liberties, R Street Institute, Washington, D.C.