HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — More than 80,000 people in Connecticut will have certain low-level convictions cleared from their criminal records over the next month, Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.) announced.
On Monday, there was loud cheering at the Community Baptist Church in New Haven for implementing the Clean Slate Law, which was signed into legislation in 2021.
The Clean Slate Law will give more than 80,000 people a fresh start.
The law aims to eliminate employment, education, and housing barriers for those convicted of low-level crimes who have finished their sentences and remained crime-free for a specific timeframe.
“Turning your life around after making a mistake isn’t easy, but many people who’ve been convicted of low-level offenses and haven’t committed any other crimes find those convictions haunting for them for decades, sometimes leading to situations in which they are unable to obtain employment, are prevented from finding a place to live, or are denied educational opportunities,” Lamont said. “The idea that minor crimes should remain a part of someone’s permanent record is outdated, ineffective, and can cause more harm than good. Connecticut’s Clean Slate Law removes barriers preventing people from leading successful and productive lives.”
System upgrades, which are now live, allow criminal justice agencies to identify eligible convictions and automatically erase them by the Clean Slate Law, according to the governor’s office.
The system is expected to initially identify almost 178,500 eligible offenses from more than 80,000 people.
Offenses eligible for automated erasure include:
- A classified or unclassified misdemeanor (imprisonment less than one year), with a seven-year waiting period from the person’s most recent conviction.
- Class D, E, or unclassified felonies (imprisonment less than five years), or operating under the influence, with a ten-year waiting period from the person’s most recent conviction.
Sexual offenses and family violence crimes are both excluded. The person must also have no pending criminal charges and have finished all incarceration, probation, and parole periods.
The governor’s office also said that the crime must have been committed on or after January 1, 2000, with earlier convictions having the possibility of being erased with a petition to the courts.
Nearly 29,000 additional convictions for operation while under the influence will be erased by the end of March 2024.
Over 62,000 other convictions will be processed manually throughout the first half of 2024.
These are in addition to the 43,754 low-level drug possession convictions already erased in January.
“This has been the best Christmas present that I could have ever gotten,” said Helen Caravallo, who said she was hanging out with the wrong crowd around 12 years ago when she was convicted of a felony.
As a mother of five kids, her life would turn for the worse. Declined for post-secondary schooling, jobs and rental applications over the years, and now, the very record that haunted her will be completely wiped.
“I’m no longer just a piece of paper or what’s on a piece of paper. They’ll look at me as a person and what I can bring to a company. They’ll look at what I can bring to the community instead of what I did,” she said.
Currently a certified nursing assistant, Caravallo plans to return to school to become a nurse.
Thousands will no longer face barriers when pursuing higher education or a new job.
“The simple implementation of Clean Slate has put a step in the process of restoring humanity and dignity to people,” Anderson Curtis with the American Civil Liberties Union said.
People who have old and minor convictions will be eligible to have their records automatically erased. One essential requirement is you must have already served your prison time or probation.
Class D, E and unclassified felonies will also be forgiven. That may include crimes like selling narcotics or committing financial fraud. Class A, B and C felonies will not be eligible for the Clean Slate Program.
For more information on the Clean Slate Law, click here.
