Both Sides of the Bars - NY Gives "Clean Slate" To People With Convictions
Show Details
In November, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that could make as many as two million people eligible to have their criminal records sealed. Under the so-called "Clean Slate Act," people who complete their sentences and remain out of trouble for a set period -- three years for misdemeanors, eight for eligible felonies -- will have their convictions sealed.
New York is now one of a dozen states that has enacted such laws, which are aimed at interrupting the cycle of recidivism by enabling formerly incarcerated people access to jobs and housing.
In this episode of BSOTB, host Rob DeLeon – deputy CEO of The Fortune Society – and his two guests discuss the importance of the signed legislation. They are Katie Schaffer, director of organizing and advocacy at Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), and Ismael Diaz Jr., a community organizer at CCA who, after returning home after 10 years of incarceration, struggled to access employment, housing, education, and healthcare.