What is the Clean Slate initiative?

The Clean Slate Initiative is fighting to create automatic automatic record relief for many of these individuals so that people who have completed their sentences don't have to continue facing permanent punishments.

This means expanding access to and automating record relief in Illinois. What we've learned is that there's an estimated 3. 3 million people currently living in Illinois with an arrest or conviction record. There are also 2. 2 million people that are already eligible for some sort of relief. This relief requires that individuals get their rap sheet, fill out paperwork, and wait for months or even years and still face denials.

WHO ARE WE?

Clean Slate is made up of people who want to help create a new opportunities for people with records to have successful lives. The steering committee is comprised of the Fully Free Campaign, Live Free Illinois, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, BPI Chicago, Clean Slate Initiative, and Alliance for Safety and Justice.

SIZE OF THE PROBLEM: ILLINOIS RECORDS BY THE NUMBERS

ILLINOIS ''SECOND CHANCE GAP”

Illinois laws allow for sealing of a broad range of misdemeanors and felony convictions following a waiting period.
But, most who qualify haven’t received relief falling into Illinois’ “Second Chance Expungement/Sealing Gap”
Even though avoiding convictions is associated with a significant financial benefit.

HOW BIG IS THE ILLINOIS’ SECOND CHANCE GAP

3M people have a criminal record.
1.5M people have a conviction record.
921k are eligible for sealing relief.

But Less than 6000 sealed in 2021. That is equivalent to 90% or 920 thousand eligible people remaining in the gap. That’s 154 years of backlog alone to be cleared.

THE EARNINGS IMPACT OF THE ILLINOIS’ SECOND CHANCE GAP

$5,100 national annual average loss in the earnings associated with misdemeanor*
$6,400 national annual average loss in the earnings associated with felony*
$4.7B aggregate estimated earnings impact of the second chance gap in Illinois