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There are simple reforms that can make our communities safer, eliminate unnecessary government bureaucracy, and get Missourians back to work statewide. Everyone in the state can automatically get relief, but here in Missouri, the process has become a complicated and bureaucratic mess.
That policy is Clean Slate Auto Criminal Record. With the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I will introduce legislation in this session and make it law here in Missouri.
A clean slate automatically seals a low-level criminal record after a person has remained crime-free for several years. We will remove barriers to employment, housing and education and give a fresh start to those whose lives have been turned around. Red and blue state legislatures enacted these common-sense laws to great effect on public safety and economic development.
We are not creating a new system. We’re just opening up the system to make sure everyone benefits. Missouri already has a process to grant petitions to seal records, but it’s a complex bureaucratic tangle that few people can untangle. Currently, only her 1% of eligible Missourians are able to complete the process. That is the definition of a broken and inefficient government, and we have a chance to fix it.
By automating the process, every Missouri citizen, regardless of whether they have the means to hire a lawyer or have the time and resources to battle the bureaucracy for months or years. , will be able to access the process.
This is not a jailbreak-free card. To be eligible, he must complete his sentence and remain free of crime for three years for a misdemeanor and five years for a felony. Rigorous research shows that people with no criminal record are less likely to commit crimes than those with no criminal record. The opportunities provided by Clean Slate also make it easier for people to get jobs, find stable housing, go back to school, and make people less likely to commit another crime.
Employers in Missouri are desperate to fill positions vacated by the labor shortage crisis facing businesses large and small across the state. We must address this need by moving our government out of the way of Missourians who want to spend time finding jobs and supporting their families.
The blank slate applies only to those convicted of low-level crimes that Congress has already established for expungement. Serious, violent, or sexual offenses are excluded. These records are sealed, but remain available to police, sheriffs, and other law enforcement agencies.
Clean Slate embodies Missouri values. The dignity of work, the value of second chances, and the need to help those in need.
We all know people who made mistakes and worked hard to turn their lives around. They are our friends, family and neighbors. They’re next to us at church and in line at coffee shops. They want to find jobs and good homes for their children. They want to go back to school and get a degree that will help them progress. They have already paid their debt to society, but their record throws up barriers every step of the way.
They got a second chance. We have an obligation and an opportunity to extend it to them.
A clean slate gives everyone an equal chance to make a fresh start, not just the few who can afford it under current laws. Expand your workforce when your business is struggling. It boosts our economy when we need it most.
We urge our colleagues to come together to uphold our values, keep our communities safer, and support our friends and neighbors at Clean Slate.
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