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Expunge Assist is a free digital tool specifically designed to aid Californians with arrest and conviction histories in clearing their criminal records. As a letter generator, it helps petitioners in writing personal statements to the court, which is the most important proof of rehabilitation filed with an expungement petition. The tool does not rely on AI, protects personal privacy, and does not store sensitive information.
Expunge Assist (formerly known as The Record Clearance Project) was initially created as a response to criminal justice reform, specifically clean slate legislation, such as Props 64 and 47 and AB 1076.
Clean slate laws have opened up new opportunities for clearing non-violent, non-sexual, and non-serious convictions through a process known as expungement. Expungement is the primary method of record clearance (there are other, less common, methods of record clearance, such as a pardon from the governor), offering individuals a second chance to pursue job, housing, and education opportunities without the burden of earlier mistakes.
There are two methods of expungement: 1) automatic expungement which is done directly by the courts and 2) petitions. Whereas millions of records have been automatically expunged by the courts, for all other records, a person must individually file a petition to the court to request expungement. The petition process puts the burden of responsibility on the individual, which itself is a barrier to accessing this important legal remedy.
Expunge Assist addresses this barrier by providing pro bono technological solutions designed to streamline the expungement process. The bigger aim is to support the critical work of government agencies and legal aid organizations in the record clearance field.
Old records can show up on commercial background checks, even when a person has paid fees, completed probation or served time. Expunging past arrests or convictions can help remove discriminatory barriers to getting a job, housing, and educational opportunities. According to the most recent clean slate laws in California, most misdemeanors and felonies are now eligible for expungement. However the petition process can be daunting. Our goal is to make that process for Californians easier.
You can access our Project One Sheet here.
The Wiki is a working document and we would love to improve it. Please compile any questions and suggestions you may have and submit it via GitHub. Here's information on how to create a GiHub issue.