BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Louisiana is on track to adopt Senate Bill 111, which is also known as the Clean Slate law.
The bill was passed on Wednesday and now heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards for a signature. Once approved, it will see to the sealing of certain non-violent criminal records.
Individuals who had low-level and non-violent criminal records that served the duration of their sentence and have remained crime-free for many years would have their records sealed, according to the bill.
The legislation appears to accurately reflect how the majority of Louisianians feel on the matter. A January 2023 poll conducted for JAN by JMC Analytics and Polling, revealed that more than three-quarters of Republicans and over 80 percent of Democrats, felt “Louisiana should automatically expunge or seal the criminal records of people convicted of less-serious offenses who have served their sentence and have not committed a new crime for a period of years so they have better chances of finding employment.”
Once Clean Slate is signed into law, it’s expected to have a positive impact on public safety and Louisiana’s workforce. The move will boost Louisiana’s economy and public safety.
“The evidence is overwhelming that automatic record expungement gives people with a criminal history a better chance at finding a job and earning an honest living with higher wages,” said Noah Bein, state policy manager at the Justice Action Network (JAN).
