Reformers: Outdated expungement laws block second chances in MS

In Mississippi, advocates said thousands of people are stuck in limbo, unable to move forward because their criminal records remain publicly accessible.

While recent proposals, including the Mississippi Clean Slate Act and other bills, would allow for automatic expungement of certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, none have been enacted.

Lisel Petis, policy director of criminal justice and civil liberties for the think tank R Street Institute and a former prosecutor, said the system traps people in poverty long after their sentences end.

“If we’re going to say, yes, you’ve done your time and come back to being in society, but we’re going to hold this thing over your head over everything you try to do to be a productive member of society, it’s really counterintuitive,” Petis contended.

Mississippi currently allows for some expungements but individuals must navigate a court process, often requiring legal assistance, money and time they may not have. Petis argued adopting automatic record clearing would ease the burden and help reformed individuals reintegrate into society.

Jillian Snider, resident senior fellow of criminal justice and civil liberties at the R Street Institute and a former New York City police officer, said policies to remove record-based barriers can also improve public safety. She pointed out they have found people without stable housing or employment are more likely to reoffend, not because of intent but because of limited options.

“We recognize, as a former law enforcement officer myself, that there are individuals who unfortunately cycle through the system because they have no other available options,” Snider observed. “It’s these barriers that are placed before them that are putting them in situations where they otherwise would most likely not commit crime.”

In Mississippi, people with criminal records face higher unemployment rates than the state average. Advocates emphasized clean slate policies could help reduce those disparities and give more Mississippians a second chance.