Report: Breaking Down Barriers to Record Clearing – A Survey of the Field
Clearing criminal records can be life-changing, leading to employment, higher wages, housing, educational opportunities, and more. For the one in…
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Report: Supporting Women in the Criminal Legal System Through Access to Diversionary Programs
Today, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, as part of Incarcerated Women’s Working Group (“Working Group”) released a report on increasing…
Have a Criminal Record? This New Law May Help You Get Work in Pennsylvania
Many people in Pennsylvania have trained for a career, or have thought about pursuing a new profession, only to be…
Report: Reforming the Child Abuse Registry System in Pennsylvania
Every year thousands of Pennsylvanians are placed on the child abuse registry for alleged child abuse or neglect, without first…
PA General Assembly Unanimously Expands Criminal Record Sealing By Removing Court Debt and Other Barriers
On Wednesday, October 21st 2020, the Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously enacted House Bill 440 (Delozier, R-Cumberland, and McClinton, D-Philadelphia), a…
Using Innovation to Address Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System
Reflections from CLS Deputy Director of Operations and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Brenda Marrero on racial injustice.
Report: Pennsylvania Clean Slate: Delivering on Its Promises
Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law, Act 56 of 2018, was passed to bring criminal record sealing to scale by the use…
EEOC’s Criminal Record Guidance One Year Later: Lessons from the Community
April 25, 2012 was a very significant day for many millions of Americans: It was the day that the Equal…
The Heavy Price for Restoring One’s Name: Court Debt Bars Record Clearing
Contact with the criminal legal system comes with a price tag that a growing number of Americans cannot afford to…
Support Removal of Criminal Records Barriers to Occupational Licensing
Thousands of Pennsylvanians face legal barriers to occupational licenses based on their criminal records. With over two dozen professions requiring…
CLS Submits Amicus Brief in Support of Iowa Legal Aid
CLS filed an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in the Supreme Court of the United States urging the Court…
CLS BLOG: Automated Sealing in Action
Mr. Amos has a criminal record. Even though the charges against him were dismissed, they still remained on his record…
Clean Slate: Changing Lives by Sealing Criminal Records
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Get Ready, Get Set: PA Prepares for Clean Slate Implementation
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Clean Slate Record Clearing: A Policy Tailored for the Digital Age
Clearing a criminal record can change the course of a person’s life. Every year, one thousand low-income individuals come to…
“Harnessing Technology” Conference Launches National Clean Slate Campaign
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
