Demand the RI Legislature: Pass a Strong Clean Slate Act Now!
Rhode Island State Senate, Rhode Island House of Representatives
Rhode Islanders deserve a fair shot at a second chance.
Thousands of our neighbors are denied jobs, housing, and educational opportunities because of old criminal records long after they have completed their sentences. This perpetual punishment holds our people back and weakens our communities.
The Problem: Rhode Island’s expungement process is one of the most restrictive in the Northeast, with probation terms that are longer than in the rest of the country.This results in people waiting longer than those in most states to clear their records.
1 in 3 Rhode Island adults (approximately 300,000 people) has a criminal record—a rate 5 percentage points above the national average and 7.4 points above the regional average.
The vast majority (82.5% or roughly 232,000 people) have only an arrest or non-violent conviction on their record.
Wait times begin only after probation and/or restitution ends, creating a significant delay.
We need a strong, automatic Clean Slate law in Rhode Island. Other states are leading the way. It's time for Rhode Island to act.
Our Demands:
1. Expand Expungement and Shorten Wait Times: First-time offenders should be able to expunge a single misdemeanor after 3 years and multiple misdemeanors after 5 years. Non-violent felonies should be eligible after 5 years.
2. Create Pathways for Multiple Records: People should be able to expunge multiple non-violent felonies after 10 years. People with multiple misdemeanors should be able to have them expunged even if they have a non-violent felony conviction.
3. Make the Process Automatic: Record sealing must happen automatically upon eligibility, removing costly and complicated barriers.
Add your name to join the coalition of community members, businesses, faith leaders, and advocates demanding the RI General Assembly pass a Clean Slate law this session. Together, we are building a stronger, more equitable Rhode Island.Add your name to join the coalition of community members, businesses, faith leaders, and advocates demanding the RI General Assembly pass a Clean Slate law this session. Together, we are building a stronger, more equitable Rhode Island.
Sponsored by
To:
Rhode Island State Senate, Rhode Island House of Representatives
From:
[Your Name]
As Rhode Island residents—people with records and their allies— we urgently call on you to expand expungement eligibility and pass a strong Clean Slate Act this legislative session.
Our current system fails our communities and our economy. One in three Rhode Island adults—approximately 300,000 people—lives with the burden of a criminal record. Due to Rhode Island’s restrictive expungement laws and some of the longest probation terms in the Northeast, people face a decade or more of waiting just to begin a complex application process. This is a perpetual punishment that serves no public safety purpose and holds back our workforce.
It is time for Rhode Island to lead with justice. We demand a Clean Slate law that creates a real path to a second chance by:
1. Expanding Expungement and Shorten Wait Times: First-time offenders should be able to expunge a single misdemeanor after 3 years and multiple misdemeanors after 5 years. Non-violent felonies should be eligible after 5 years.
2. Creating Pathways for Multiple Records: People should be able to expunge multiple non-violent felonies after 10 years. People with multiple misdemeanors should be able to have them expunged even if they have a felony conviction, provided that felony is not a crime of violence.
3. Making the Process Automatic: Sealing must happen automatically upon eligibility, removing costly, complicated barriers and ensuring relief reaches everyone who qualifies.
This is not just about individual redemption; it is about strengthening all of Rhode Island. Clean Slate will boost our economy, make our communities safer, and correct systemic injustice.
We call on you to act without delay. Pass a strong Clean Slate Act now.