This summer, many people with criminal convictions will be able to seal their records.
It's called the Clean Slate Law, and it goes into effect at the beginning of July. Advocates have been working on this for years. The bill was originally signed by former Governor Ralph Northam and is only now going into effect after years of delay to update antiquated police databases.
"This country is a country of second chances. And when you earn that second chance, you deserve it," says George Townsend, founder of Clean Slate Virginia. "And so, folks can go a period of time without another criminal conviction, and then it would be sealed so that you can get that employment, you can get the better job, you can get a job, you can get better housing."
Sheeba Williams is founder of Nolef Turns, and she says the consequences of having a conviction or sometimes just an arrest, go way beyond employment and housing.
"There’s education, there’s family reunification, custody issues. There’s issues with being eligible for certain medications or being an organ donor recipient. There are restrictions on chaperoning your children on field trips," Williams says. "So, you know, a lot of people know the huge areas like housing and employment which are the largest barriers, but there are very nuanced things that people aren’t allowed to do."
Beginning this summer, people can start petitioning to get rid of some non-violent convictions. Then, later this year, a process will kick in to automatically get rid of a smaller group of minor drug and property crimes.
