OP-ED: Delaware’s returning citizens get a fair shot at a clean slate. Next stop, nationwide.

In Case You Missed It, today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) published an op-ed in The News Journal highlighting her bipartisan Clean Slate legislation that would seal the federal records of eligible justice-involved individuals. Delaware is one of only 12 states to have enacted a Clean Slate law which supports jobs, justice, and second chances. On August 1, Delaware began implementing Clean Slate legislation which was inspired by the Congresswoman's work.

To read the full op-ed, see below or click here.

The News Journal: Delaware's returning citizens get a fair shot at a clean slate. Next stop, nationwide.

By Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

August 29, 2024

Pennsylvania. Utah. New Jersey. Michigan. Connecticut. Virginia. Oklahoma. Colorado. California. Minnesota. New York. Delaware.

Can you guess what these states have in common? They all have enacted Clean Slate laws that give justice-involved individuals who have committed low-level, nonviolent offenses a second chance and a clean slate. Even after serving their time and paying their debt to society, too many still face significant barriers in reentering the workforce. The economic impact of this legislation alone is staggering; Clean Slate has the potential to add $87 billion to the U.S. economy. Having spoken with business owners up and down our state about workforce shortages, I believe Clean Slate can help ease these challenges across our economy. While I'm proud that Delaware's Clean Slate law, inspired by my work in Congress, took effect on August 1st, I urge my colleagues to support my bipartisan effort to pass the federal Clean Slate Act in Congress.

The Clean Slate Act was one of the first bills I introduced when I came to Congress. In fact, I've introduced it every term I've served in the House, and it has always been a bipartisan bill. This legislation would remove major barriers for justice-involved Americans by automatically sealing federal records for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses after their sentence is completed, making it easier to find employment, secure housing, and access education. It would also create a related petition process for other nonviolent offenses. Clean Slate is about a simple proposition: those who have served their time and paid their debt to society deserve a second chance.

To me, Clean Slate is both a jobs and justice bill. Creating good jobs has been the connective tissue of my entire career. I've been fortunate to serve our state in a variety of positions - from Secretary of Labor to Head of State Personnel to Member of Congress. As Secretary of Labor, it became clear to me that jobs and justice are intertwined - a simple marijuana possession offense shouldn't mean you can never work again. This is especially true for minority communities that continue to be disproportionately impacted by simple marijuana possession charges with higher rates of arrests. In fact, Black people are almost four times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession.

Having also served as the CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, I saw how disparities in incarceration rates across Delaware have grown. Employment is key to driving that down. Research shows that employment has the potential to reduce recidivism which helps make our communities safer and families stronger. However, nine out of ten employers conduct a background check, nine out of ten landlords conduct a background check, and three in five colleges conduct a background check, making it challenging for people with records to find jobs, housing, and access education. It is also reported that four in 10 children across the country live in a household with a justice-involved individual, which can impact children's mental and behavioral development, school performance, and economic stability. Having a record shouldn't mean you can't find a place to live. It shouldn't mean you can't get an education. And it shouldn't mean that our kids - the next generation of leaders- should suffer. We all should have equal opportunities to not just survive but thrive.

Building on my jobs-focused work, I made it a priority to include the Clean Slate Act as one of the core tenants of my comprehensive Jobs Agenda that I unveiled last year. The agenda focuses on strengthening our economy, our workforce, and our communities by creating more affordable housing, making our supply chains more resilient, investing in job training programs of the future, and reducing barriers to entering the workforce. The Clean Slate Act has garnered a broad coalition of support from across the political spectrum, including having both Democratic and Republican cosponsors, and endorsements from organizations such as the Clean Slate Initiative, Right on Crime, American Conservative Union, Brennan Center for Justice, Business Roundtable, and more. Our legislation even inspired Delaware's Clean Slate law that is now being implemented in Delaware. Thanks to the efforts of State Senator Darius Brown who sponsored Clean Slate in the Delaware General Assembly and Governor John Carney who signed it into law in 2021, an estimated 290,000 people with eligible criminal histories in Delaware have the potential for their records to be sealed.

Clean Slate provides a path for returning citizens to join our workforce, grow Delaware's economy, and perhaps most importantly, support our young people so they can reach their full potential. We must keep the momentum going. We must ensure that everyone gets a fair shot at a fresh start. We must pass my Clean Slate Act into federal law.

Lisa Blunt Rochester serves as U.S. Representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district.

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