Impact and Awareness of Clean Slate Policy:
A Longitudinal Multistate Investigation
Criminal record clearance, or expungement, has the potential to mitigate or remove some of the consequences associated with a criminal record. As of July 2024, all but five U.S. states have some form of general record sealing or set-aside. However, many eligible people are unaware that record clearance is available; and for those who do know, the process of applying for criminal record clearance can be complex, time-consuming, and costly, involving administrative costs and sometimes legal fees. For these reasons, a large proportion of individuals who are eligible for petition-based expungement do not successfully complete the process. This 3-part study employs mixed methodologies to understand awareness and impact of Clean Slate policy across a broad set of U.S. states.
Phase 1
First, we will leverage a quasi-experimental longitudinal interview methodology to document the impact of Clean Slate among Clean Slate-eligible individuals who were interviewed in our previous study (2021-2023). By comparing pre- and post-expungement interview data with the same directly-impacted people, we center the voices of those who are most affected while gaining a deep and nuanced understanding of both the anticipated and actual impacts – as well as limitations and potential areas for policy improvement.
Phase 2
Second, we will partner with YouGov to conduct survey research measuring awareness of Clean Slate among eligible justice-impacted individuals in five states with recently enacted policies (N = 750). We will then field the survey again the following year to measure changes in policy awareness over time.
Phase 3
Third, we will identify best practices for messaging and notification through qualitative interviews with community stakeholders, policymakers, and advocates