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CLOSING ARGUMENT JUNE 28, 2021 ■ 41

EDITORIAL BOARD

access to criminal records, but employers, property owners,
members of the general public, colleges and the general pub-
such as landlords and employ- lic have a right to know about
ers, can also get access to them. a person’s criminal record. As
We know that if we don’t help it turns out, a study conducted
people move beyond their by the University of Michigan
criminal records, they will be School of Law that looked at
challenged to participate in the people who affirmatively sought
workforce. Studies show that the Expungement and sealing expungement suggests the op-
unemployment rate for former- of certain criminal records posite—that individuals with
ly incarcerated people is more will benefit the economy sealed or expunged criminal
than 27 percent—far greater by providing individuals records actually commit crimes
than the total U.S. unemploy- at a lower rate than the general
ment rate during any historical a second chance at adult population (99 percent of
period, including during the employment. such individuals are not con-
Great Depression. The rate is victed of any felony, 99.4 percent
even higher for people of color. are not convicted of any violent
Having a criminal record can crime, and 96 percent are not
also severely limit one’s access convicted of any crime at all
to education, civic engagement, within five years of sealing their
public assistance and housing. criminal records).
Studies show that nearly nine Expungement and seal-
out of 10 employers, four out of ing can certainly benefit the
five property owners and three economy by providing indi-
in five colleges use background checks to screen viduals with criminal records a second chance at
for applicants’ criminal records, and one study employment. And you don’t have to be an econo-
found that more than 45,000 federal and state mist to recognize that the cost of barring these
statutes and regulations impose disqualifications individuals from the workforce ranges in the
or disadvantages on individuals with a convic- billions in lost gross domestic product annually.
tion. Moreover, the collateral damage of having One decade old study from the Economy League
a criminal record impacts generations, as the so- of Philadelphia found that putting to work just
cioeconomic barriers associated with a parent’s 100 formerly incarcerated individuals with em-
criminal record can harm a child’s long-term ployment in Philadelphia would increase their
well-being and outcomes. And finally, criminal lifetime earnings by $55 million, income tax
records can also be used to target noncitizens for contributions by $1.9 million, and sales tax con-
deportation, severing familial ties within migrant tributions by $770,000.
communities. It should come as no surprise that So we applaud this effort by the legislature
these impacts impact families and communities and those who have worked toward its passage.
of color who are arrested and convicted at dis- In this era of criminal justice reform, let’s see if
proportionately high rates. we can help those individuals break free from
While some may argue that because people with their past to become productive members of our
criminal records pose a threat to public safety, present. ■

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