Today we will visit with team members at The Clean Slate Initiative, or CSI. The Clean Slate Initiative passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and expand who is eligible for clearance.
The Clean Slate Initiative, under the leadership of CEO Sheena Meade, is transforming lives by helping individuals with past records break barriers to employment, housing, and education. This initiative, which started in Pennsylvania, is striving to make the process of clearing records automated, shifting the burden from individuals to the government. Through Meade’s personal experiences and passion, she emphasizes the importance of involving those directly impacted by the criminal justice system in reform efforts. With policies already changed in 12 states and a $75 million grant from the Audacious Project, the Clean Slate Initiative aims to expand nationwide, fostering a future where this reform is seen as common sense, and ultimately providing a second chance for millions.
The Clean Slate Initiative’s vision is that everyone in America should have a fair opportunity to work, have a safe home, take care of their families, and contribute to their community. They seek to achieve that vision by uniting people across the country to ensure that conviction and non-conviction records are no longer a life sentence to poverty, and past mistakes will no longer define our futures.
And here to tell us about this vital work is Sheena Meade, the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Slate Initiative. Welcome to The Business of Giving, Sheena.