Hear from Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould (she/her/hers), the Director of Cultural and Political Engagement por Faith in Action, about the need for Clean Slate in our state!
Why do you believe Clean Slate to be an important and necessary policy solution for Missouri?
As a Black faith leader, I believe Clean Slate is essential because it recognizes the full humanity of people who have already paid their debt to society. Too often in Missouri, a criminal record becomes a life sentence long after the sentence is served. It traps a disproportionate number of Black and poor Missourians in cycles of poverty, unemployment, and exclusion. Clean Slate is a policy that takes seriously our moral obligation to repair the harms caused not only by individual mistakes but by a criminal legal system that has never been applied equally.
For me, Clean Slate is not just a policy. It is a commitment to building a Missouri where redemption is real, where people are not permanently marked by their hardest chapter, and where every resident has a pathway to stability, dignity, and opportunity.
How does it tie into the themes of forgiveness and second chances?
Faith communities—especially Black churches—have always stood on the truth that every person is worthy of grace and a fresh start. Our scriptures are full of stories where God restores people who society counted out. We preach forgiveness, redemption, and transformation every Sunday. Clean Slate simply puts into policy what we already proclaim from the pulpit: that no one should be defined forever by their past. The so-called “criminal justice system” is a perpetually punitive system. You pay for the alleged crime via a conviction, often coupled with jail/prison time and or a fine, and even after being released one’s criminal record further punishes them and often excludes them from being full participants in the social economic system. It is a system of double jeopardy that is antithetical to the forgiveness that is a theological tenant of many faith traditions.
Supporting Clean Slate is an act of discipleship. It is how we live out the belief that people can change, that mercy is more powerful than punishment, and that our communities grow stronger when all of God’s children are allowed to rebuild their lives. When we advocate for Clean Slate, we are aligning our public witness with our deepest spiritual values. For Christian faith leaders, supporting Clean Slate is not just an opportunity but an obligation to embody the work of Jesus Christ.
What are some of the collateral consequences of a criminal record that you have seen? What can you say about the impact that record has on that individual?
2014 was such a consequential year in my life and ministry. In addition to bearing witness to the criminalization of a young unarmed Black man, Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, I also met and had a chance to advocate for Anthony Williams, a then 34-year-old who had been wrongfully convicted of murder at age 14, in St. Louis. He spent 20 years in prison. On July 3, 2014, he was finally exonerated and released. 11 years later despite being exonerated Anthony still has to explain in job interviews and during traffic stops that he was exonerated. I have walked with parishioners and community members who could not get a job interview because an old record kept showing up. I have prayed with parents turned away from housing, even though they had the income and references. I have counseled young adults who were denied financial aid or professional licenses because of mistakes they made as teenagers.
The burden of a criminal record reaches far beyond the courtroom; it affects mental health, family stability, the ability to provide, and a person’s dignity. It leaves families with the stain of shame and It tells people that no matter how hard they work, society will always see them through the lens of their worst moment. That is devastating, limiting and inhumane. These realities also contribute to recidivism rates.
Clean Slate interrupts that cycle. It restores hope. It allows a person not just to survive but to thrive. And when individuals thrive, whole communities do too. It means a person is not assessed by a mistake. It allows those who have been subjected to the system to have an equitable restart.
How can faith leaders show up to support Clean Slate?
Faith leaders have a powerful role to play. We are still the story tellers of America. We can engage in the education that the public needs around these issues by starting with our congregations. Here are some other practical ways we can engage:
● Coordinate with community organizing groups who are leading the charge on Clean Slate and participate in Lobby Days and offer testimony to legislators about the real people we know: mothers, returning citizens, church members, and young people whose lives would be transformed by Clean Slate.
● Preach and teach about the spiritual principles behind second chances, helping congregations understand that policy is a form of pastoral care.
● Host expungement clinics, informational sessions, or legal resource fairs, making our churches places of restoration.
● Write op eds and do podcasts to talk about the issue.
● Accompany directly impacted people so they do not have to navigate the political process alone.
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