Pathway 2

Erasing Criminal History: Clean Slate Act

Connecticut’s Clean Slate Act (Public Act 21-32) strengthens employment opportunities for individuals with a criminal history by automatically erasing certain convictions after a set period, 7 years for misdemeanors and 10 years for eligible low-level felonies as long as there are no new offenses.

Before Connecticut’s Clean Slate law, individuals had to actively apply for record erasure through a lengthy and often uncertain pardons process, which sometimes included a formal hearing before the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Under the new Clean Slate law, once the state finalizes its technology updates to the criminal records system (anticipated in 2024), certain criminal records will be erased automatically, no application required.

Eligible records for automatic erasure include:

• Misdemeanor convictions that are at least seven years old, and specific Class D, Class E, or unclassified felony convictions that are at least ten years old provided that the individual has not been convicted of any other crimes during that time.

Not all offenses are eligible: Convictions involving sexual offenses, family violence, or firearm-related crimes are excluded from Clean Slate erasure.

Many individuals affected by the Clean Slate law may not be aware of it, particularly those who could benefit the most. Employers can play a valuable role by sharing information about these protections as part of their Second Chance Hiring outreach.

Informing current employees about Clean Slate protections doesn’t just help job applicants, it may directly benefit your existing staff, their families, or friends who are impacted by the justice system, and can build goodwill within your workforce.

To help people understand their eligibility and navigate the process, the state has launched an informational site: https://portal.ct.gov/cleanslate/

How to Use Background Checks for More Effective
Hiring