Far more than one particular million Coloradans with non-violent prison information will shortly have their records quickly sealed – many thanks to a invoice signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday.
Scheduled to go into result in August, Senate Monthly bill 99 implements an computerized sealing system for non-violent legal information. The new legislation applies to those people who are suitable to ask for document sealing underneath the latest program – this means they have finished their sentence, completed a essential waiting interval and have not fully commited yet another prison offense.
Colorado lawmakers handed the monthly bill — dubbed the Clean Slate Act — just about unanimously in a 61-4 vote in the Home and a 33-1 vote in the Senate. None of the 5 opponents, all of whom are Republicans, commented on their “no” votes.
“It’s not typically you get to go a policy that has the prospective to assistance hundreds of thousands of individuals overnight, and Cleanse Slate Colorado did just that,” said More healthy Colorado CEO Jake Williams. “We’ve now eradicated numerous of these limitations for deserving people and their families and we know our communities will be much better, safer and much healthier for it.”
Close to 1.125 million Coloradans with felony documents are suitable to utilize for sealing but have not, according to state estimates. Bill supporters stated numerous really don’t go after document sealing simply because the existing method is difficult and high-priced, involving submitting a petition with the courtroom and paying out a price. Under the bill, those people Coloradans can have their records sealed devoid of using any motion.

Supporters championed the bipartisan-sponsored invoice as a way to improve Colorado’s workforce by removing a barrier to employment, education and learning and housing for inhabitants with legal documents. Colorado and the relaxation of the nation are experiencing a pandemic-induced labor scarcity. In July 2021, 7.7% of work in Colorado ended up unfilled — an all-time superior for the point out, in accordance to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Figures.
The bill will also prohibit work and housing discrimination centered on the contents of a sealed legal file.
“Business leaders throughout Colorado acknowledge that the Clean up Slate Act is an critical phase in direction of economic recovery and acquiring persons again on their feet,” claimed Nan Gibson with JP Morgan Chase. “This is demonstrated by the enormous groundswell of guidance within just the company neighborhood.”
Virtually three dozen Colorado companies backed the monthly bill, like JPMorgan Chase, Goodwill, House Depot and the good-likelihood work platform Truthful Jobs.
Supporters of the invoice also argue that automated record sealing would decrease criminal offense. They cited a 2020 Harvard Law Review research, which concluded that men and women who have gotten their prison documents sealed or expunged are fewer most likely to reoffend and pose a decrease criminal offense danger than the basic population.
Underneath the invoice, district lawyers can object to computerized document sealing for non-drug felonies by filing notice to a court. The court can deny record sealing based on a victim’s worry or a media outlet’s will need to access information.

