I traveled as a first-time attendee to the Clean Slate Initiative annual convening in Chicago earlier this month. The convening celebrated the 5th year anniversary for the Clean Slate Initiative launch. The Clean Slate Initiative, a national advocacy organization, is working across the country to pass and implement laws that automate record sealing for people with eligible records who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and to expand who is eligible for sealing.
For the past three years, Empower Missouri and our partners have worked on Clean Slate legislation to allow Missourians a second chance. This last legislative session Representative Bishop Davidson’s bill, HB 953, advanced further than any previous efforts. This is a steppingstone for passing Clean Slate next session. Being new in my role, I learned quickly about the impact Clean Slate will have on our state. That same thought came again at the convening. I shared space with many advocates, directly impacted people, and policy directors that have worked on similar bills in their states for years. The lessons learned from the convening provided me with important themes to help advance Clean Slate legislation in Missouri. There was a lot to take away from this convening but some topics that stood out to me were:
“It will happen; just keep pushing”
Currently, there are 12 states that have passed Clean Slate. Some of these states passed it when it was first introduced while others took years for it to pass. I know many Clean Slate supporters were discouraged after our bill failed to pass this year. It was clear at the convening that Missouri’s experience is not unique. This has been happening in many other states across the country. Hearing directly from impacted individuals reminded me why we cannot give up in this fight. I sat beside many formerly incarcerated individuals who spoke of their twenty or more years spent behind bars. They also spoke of who they are now, how their life has changed since they have been released, and the advocacy they do for others. One speaker told us about their journey and ended with encouraging words, “it will happen, just keep pushing.” That really resonated with me thinking of the upcoming legislative session. We must keep pushing to pass Clean Slate.
Winning the Narrative
One of the most impactful sessions I attended was “Winning the Narrative,” which focused on messaging, openness and transparency, and the stories of those who have been impacted. Here are three takeaways that will help our messaging in Missouri:
- Center the voices of directly impacted people. Being able to uplift and value the lived experiences is extremely important. It helps to challenge existing power structures and dominant narratives that do not align with ours. With their voices centered, it promotes greater understanding and empathy to their story. Stories are very powerful and affirms why this work is so necessary. Stories — Missouri Clean Slate Campaign
- Balance data with storytelling. Effective messaging balances stories from lived experiences with data that relates to these stories. This helps to put the data into context of a broader objective. You cannot take away that people have spent decades behind bars and they are trying hard to navigate life after release. The data shows the magnitude of these stories.
- Emphasize Clean Slate’s bipartisan support. One narrative that stood out during the past legislative session, was that there is a bipartisan push for Clean Slate. People on both sides of the aisle believe in the importance of dismantling barriers to employment, housing and education individuals face due to past convictions.
Building Community Power
Another theme from the convening was the importance of community building. I met advocates from Oklahoma who shared how they worked with their community to educate, to engage, and have them showing up in numbers. The space was filled with people from all walks of life: attorneys, clergy members, formerly incarcerated individuals, policymakers, and more. We all can win when we build community power. As Dr. Sheena Meade, the CEO of Clean Slate Initiative, reminded us, “The time is now. Get involved.” This is an all hands on deck moment and everyone is needed to take action, especially now more than ever
Help Pass Clean Slate in Missouri
People across the state are working on advocacy efforts to make Clean Slate a reality. Here are ways you can get involved:
- Stand with Empower Missouri in support of Clean Slate: Add your name to our sign on letter or add your organization to the list of Missouri organizations that support Clean Slate.
- Volunteer with our campaign.
- Join Empower Missouri’s Community Justice Coalition to work with advocates on other criminal legal system reform initiatives.
Rika White (Criminal Justice Policy Manager) and Jet McDonald (Communications Manager) at the 2025 Clean Slate Initiative Convening
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