Clean Slate Act
ZVMS supports the Clean Slate Act (MN SF1856, HF1152), which provides the grounds and procedures for automatic expungement of certain criminal records following a waiting period. The social determinants of health, including housing, job opportunities, wages, access to health care, and social integration, will improve for those getting expungements. Automatic expungements will ease barriers that individuals with criminal records face and that spill over to their family members.
Barriers Caused by Criminal Records
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [1], people with criminal records are often excluded by policies and procedures from broad categories of activities. These policies and procedures allow, and often mandate, that employers, postsecondary institutions, landlords, and treatment providers use criminal records to restrict access to education, housing, employment, social services, public benefits, and mental and behavioral health services. These post-release barriers, which the Clean Slate Act aims to help mitigate, are often called collateral consequences.
Public Safety and Recidivism
Those who oppose expunging of criminal records express concern about public safety and recurring criminal activity. However, studies have found that risk factors for recidivism include a lack of employment, unstable housing, and social stigma [2]. The clearing of criminal records can help reduce these risk factors.
Automatic Expungement
We are particularly supportive of the automatic expungement included in the Clean Slate Act, rather than expungement through an application process. Application processes require time, effort, awareness, and sometimes money, which become a deterrent. Automatic expungement frees individuals from these administrative burdens and removes collateral consequences.