A bipartisan effort to expand Pennsylvania’s 2018 Clean Slate law gathered further momentum today with unanimous passage out of the house judiciary committee.

The vote comes after a coalition of criminal justice advocates, national policy experts, and state lawmakers held a press conference in the state capitol last week.

A bipartisan coalition of criminal justice advocates, national policy experts, and state lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 26 to call for passage of legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking automated expungement system.

Sponsored by Representative Brian Hill (R-Mustang), HB 2490 allows Oklahomans who have served five years of their suspended sentence or suspended portion of their split sentences in their communities to petition a judge for a sentence modification if they have completed the terms and conditions of their probation—including maintaining or actively seeking employment and completing rehabilitative programming—and they have no pending violations or revocation hearings.

As a divided Pennsylvania legislature considers additional criminal justice reforms this session, the Justice Action Network released a poll showing that Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support expanding the state’s 2018 Clean Slate law and believe the justice system needs improvement.

The event, which is taking place during Second Chance Month, will address both the economic and public safety implications of Minnesota’s current probation, parole, expungement, and other re-entry policies, including best practices and evidence-based recommendations, some of which are currently under consideration by the legislature.

Today, Senate Bill 1290 passed the Arizona House by a margin of 57-0, representing a major step forward for reducing barriers to employment for those exiting prisons and making it easier for employers to hire qualified workers in the state of Arizona.

rime and policing ranked as the number one issue for voters on both sides of the aisle and across much of the state, and there is strong support for common-sense reforms, which prove concerns won't be appeased by knee-jerk reactions to crime. Among the poll's most interesting findings…

A newly-released poll shows that Louisiana voters—including majorities from all party affiliations as well as voters from victim and law enforcement households—support criminal justice solutions that reduce recidivism and emphasize treatment and diversion over more punitive responses like longer sentences.

A January 2023 poll has shown that while Louisiana voters are concerned about crime, they’re thinking about public safety solutions in nuanced, and evidence-based ways, including support for key criminal justice reform policies aimed at reducing recidivism and using tax dollars efficiently.

California Governor Gavin Newsom campaigned on criminal justice reform and has signed some important legislation since his election, but there have been tremendous failures too. Can he navigate the slim margins of support and create a truly rehabilitative environment on U.S. soil?

“[Voting gives] a little bit of your strength back and a little bit of your voice back. Being able to vote, being able to have a say in what happens in your society, in your state, is extremely important.”

This week, Justice Action Network’s Executive Director Jenna Bottler had an op-ed published in the Albuquerque Journal. In the op-ed, Bottler argues that lawmakers need to focus on refinement of its pretrial policies after reform. 

It comes as no surprise New Mexicans are scrutinizing the state’s use of pretrial detention, especially following headlines from the Solomon Pena case. But while this case is driving heightened public awareness of the state’s pretrial policies, the next steps essential to protect public safety have been pending for months, if not years, before this one case.

As unemployment continues to inch downwards—achieving a new historical low with seemingly every jobs report—and the economy refuses to cool off, congressional leaders are shining a fresh light on second chances hiring. 

For years, criminal justice advocates have argued employment is one of the most important benchmarks for people’s reentry after prison to turn their life around successfully. Thankfully, both parties now see second chances as a moral imperative.

While some states have been doubling down on outdated “lock-’em-up” policies, elected leaders in Oklahoma have looked toward evidence-based ideas to improve correctional outcomes, reduce recidivism and improve workforce opportunities for people who have earned a second chance.