Business Leaders Back Federal Clean Slate

On September 21, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the Clean Slate and Fresh Start Acts in a bipartisan vote. Both bills would help create meaningful second chances for individuals returning from incarceration. Here's what business leaders across the country had to say:

“We believe that after fulfilling their justice system obligations, people with records should be able to fully participate in the economy and their community by giving them a second chance. The drag on the earning potential of millions of Americans are costs not only borne by individuals, their families, and their communities but also have larger economic consequences for business and society.”

-Nan Gibson, Executive Director
JPMorgan Chase Policy Center (New York City, NY)

"Federal Clean Slate is a common-sense, technological solution to the ongoing talent shortage. By automating and expanding record sealing, Congress can help employers while granting people the second chance they deserve.”

-Michelle Cirocco, Chief Social Responsibility Officer
Televerde (Phoenix, AZ)

"We must do everything in our power to get people back into work. Here at CleanTurn, we know how loyal, hardworking and productive justice-impacted employees can be. Clean Slate legislation will help businesses, big and small, to maximize the potential of this overlooked and underutilized workforce segment." 

-John Rush, CEO
CleanTurn (Columbus, OH)

"When businesses across the country are looking to fill over 11 million jobs (two spots for every unemployed person) – it would behoove our leaders to implement strategies that lower the barriers to employment.  It does not make sense that people with convictions who are ready and able to work are prevented from doing so. Access to work is one of the key determinants on whether someone will reoffend, and by expanding and automating the record sealing process we can make our communities safer and more prosperous. This should be a priority for every business leader in the United States."  

- Joseph Kenner, President and CEO
Greyston (Yonkers, NY)

"Justice-impacted individuals have to be part of our national talent solution going forward. States that have implemented clean-slate legislation — like Colorado — have already seen an increase in employment, safety and living standards. By doing the same at the federal level, we can inclusively get people back to work and give millions of Americans the second chances they deserve/"

-Bryant Dulin, CEO
Kobeyo (Basalt, CO)

“Small businesses across the country have been hit hard by the labor shortage. America’s job creators want to be able to hire the best possible talent — without facing the obstacles posed by an old criminal record. Clean Slate will allow smaller firms to access an underutilized talent pool and expand their workforce. We can help individuals get back on their feet with commonsense policy changes. The small business community supports Clean Slate laws and efforts to get Americans back to work.”

-Awesta Sarkash, Government Affairs Director
Small Business Majority (Washington, D.C.)

"Now more than ever, small businesses need to tap into new and diverse talent pools. Clean Slate is a bipartisan, common-sense solution to do precisely that. By automating and expanding access to record sealing, the federal Clean Slate Act and Fresh Start Act will dismantle employment barriers and provide meaningful second chances to millions of Americans - saving taxpayer dollars and making our communities safer in the process."

-Bryan Leach, Founder and CEO
Ibotta (Denver, CO)

“The contributions and potential of formerly incarcerated individuals cannot be fully realized by businesses and our economy if the current system and policies work against them or continue to disfranchise people who experience barriers to employment. I encourage my fellow business owners and community members, to support and advocate for HB 1826. Together we can fight systemic issues that underlie labor issues, break generational cycles that lead to crime, and aid in a more inclusive economic recovery.”

-Mike Doner, President and CEO
Flagger Force (Harrisburg, PA)

"Franklin Concrete has been a second-chance employer for years, and we're delighted that the concept is being legislated for at a federal level. It is unfair and wasteful that we continue to punish people long after they have paid their debt to society. Our experience has been that those given a second chance are hard and loyal workers - who appreciate being treated with respect."

-Mark Franklin, Director of Operations
Franklin Concrete LLC (Denver, CO)

"When I first started second-chance hiring, I was shocked by how unintelligible most criminal records are. Hiring individuals with criminal records was the right decision for our business, but it presented challenges, and for many companies, those challenges might be too great. Clean Slate is a solution. As employers across the country recover from the pandemic, automatic record sealing is a key solution to expanding the talent pool and getting more people back to work."

-Gabriel Mandujano, CEO
Wash Cycle Laundry (Philadelphia, PA)

“We’ve seen firsthand that formerly incarcerated individuals can be extraordinary business owners, employers, and community leaders — but they need the economic stability that comes from a good job and secure housing to succeed. Clean Slate can help to create these business and community leaders by ensuring equitable opportunities for all.”

-Theresa Rinne-Meyers, Director of Impact 
Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (Denver, CO)

“Clean Slate allows for returning citizens hope and opportunity, once individuals have paid their debt to society, to move on from the past. It allows and educates businesses to really look at the individual and what they bring to the table, not a barrier. As our country is rebuilding its framework for equity amongst those who have been shut out of the American Dream, being a business who is a second chance employer says a lot about you, the part you play in keeping families together and the community, all just through giving someone an opportunity.”

-Marcus Weaver, Program Manager
The People’s Pickles (Denver, CO)

"We need to fix our criminal record system. By federally expanding and automating record sealing for deserving individuals who have paid their debt to society, we can help employers hire, save taxpayer dollars, and increase public safety while making America a fairer and more equitable place to live and work."

-Dorritt Lowsen, Co-CEO
Change Finance (Longmont, CO)

"As a formerly incarcerated business owner, I know first-hand the massive, unnecessary barriers that millions of returning citizens face when it comes to employment. I also know how much those barriers damage our workforce, our economy, and our communities. Removing them at the federal level isn't just the right thing to do - it's good business."

-Michael Diaz-Rivera, Owner
Better Days Delivery (Denver, CO)

"We've seen the benefits of automatic record sealing -- for workers, families, and communities -- across the country, including in our home state of Colorado. Clean Slate increases wages, strengthens the economy, and supports businesses of all sizes. By passing the Clean Slate Act and Fresh Start Act, Congress can expand opportunities and give deserving individuals a second chance."

-Peter Marcus, VP of Communications
Terrapin (Boulder, CO)