Record Reset

Professor Sarah Lageson was recently awarded two grants from the Clean Slate Initiative to conduct research on the implementation and impact of automatic criminal record expungement across the United States. Nearly one in three Americans has a criminal record, which can create barriers. Automatic criminal record expungement — also known as clean slate policies — uses various algorithmic approaches to seal eligible criminal records. Dozens of states have recently passed provisions for the automatic sealing of records.

“There is enormous potential for automated criminal record expungement to reduce discrimination and create pathways for better employment, housing and family relationships. However, we know little about how these policies work on the ground,” said Lageson, an expert on data privacy in the criminal legal system. “We will empirically measure the impacts of expungement, identify gaps between policy and practice, and seek evidence-based approaches to addressing unintended consequences. A central aim of the research is to deepen our understanding of what it means to give a second chance.”