April 4, 2025
Illinois lawmakers plan to propose a bill to introduce Clean Slate legislation. Should the legislation pass, the Illinois Clean Slate Act would make sweeping changes to expungements. For example, it would create a system that automatically seals or expunges eligible criminal records.
After six years of working on a clean slate policy, Illinois House Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth proposed the Clean Slate bill. This bill followed a 2017 legislation from former House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. This legislation expanded eligibility for sealing records within the state.
The 2017 legislation allowed individuals with certain non-violent felony convictions to qualify to have their records sealed. However, the state’s existing expungement process has encountered challenges. As a result, the system has left over 900,000 records waiting for expungement. This struggle led to Gordon-Booth arguing for a streamlined system, which she proposed in her Clean Slate Act.
Estimations revealed that more than 73% of individuals in Illinois with a criminal record may qualify under the state’s current expungement process. However, this process relies on the individual to take the initiative to file a petition with the courts. They must also acquire legal representation and make court appearances through personal effort. Unfortunately, most people cannot afford the significant costs to complete these steps. Furthermore, the process may take more than a year and varies significantly between the state’s 102 counties.
Gordon-Booth’s Clean Slate legislation aims to change this by automating and streamlining the process. Should it pass, the automation process would expunge or seal convictions for eligible individuals. Gordon-Booth and supporters of the Clean Slate Act expect the automation to quickly provide fresh starts, opening opportunities for jobs, education, and housing.
Gordon-Booth stressed how many Illinoisans face discrimination for actions taken 10 or more years ago. She stressed, “I’ve watched individuals take more than a year to get to a place when they start the process and get to the end of it. Many people lose faith that things can actually change for them.”
Clean Slate Acts passed in twelve other states have helped people with criminal records obtain a fresh start. These people found improved employment and housing opportunities, and an increasing number of states began considering these types of laws to help individuals with a criminal record and employers by expanding the labor pool.
It remains uncertain if this legislation will become law. However, employers can still help people with a criminal record by increasing opportunities and considering whether an offense is relevant to the desired job.