Unlocking Opportunity for New Yorkers with Conviction Histories
A criminal record often follows someone for life, blocking access to jobs, housing, and stability long after a sentence is served. This state of “perpetual punishment” hurts individuals, communities, and our economy. At CSS, we believe that once a debt to society is paid, every person deserves a real second chance to live with dignity and economic security.
That belief drove our work on the Clean Slate Act, a milestone criminal justice reform for New York State that passed in 2023 and begins helping New Yorkers in 2027.
CSS brought a unique perspective to the campaign, grounded in our direct service work with New Yorkers navigating reentry through our Next Door Project. We saw firsthand how conviction histories were trapping people in economic insecurity, unable to get jobs or find safe places to live even when their convictions were decades in the past.
As steering committee members of the Clean Slate NY coalition, CSS helped build momentum for legislation that automatically seals certain eligible criminal records to help people rebuild their lives. After years of advocacy, the Clean Slate Act was signed into law, opening doors for the 2.3 million New Yorkers with a criminal record.
How does the sealing law work?
Conviction records for most civil purposes are sealed three years after a person’s last misdemeanor conviction and eight years after their last felony conviction, as long as they don’t have any other convictions during this “waiting period.” Once the three- or eight-year period expires, the government automatically seals the conviction as long as there are no pending criminal charges and any probation or parole has been completed.
While the Clean Slate Act is the most inclusive automatic sealing law in the nation, we believe automatic expungement is fundamental to ending perpetual punishment once and for all. Our campaign will continue fighting to give all New Yorkers true second chances, undo the harms of racial injustice, build more resilient communities, and create a more equitable society.