STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Conviction records for a laundry list of crimes in New York will no longer be accessible to most members of the general public after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the state’s “clean slate” legislation this past week.
The new law allows some criminal records to be sealed after a certain period of time if the convict doesn’t commit another offense.
Proponents have touted the legislation as a way to help convicts reintegrate into society, but opponents have raised concerns about the impact the legislation will have on crime.
The law will not seal the records of individuals convicted of sex crimes, murder or other non-drug Class-A felonies. Additionally, law enforcement, prosecutors, the New York State Education Department, the courts and other groups will continue to have access to all criminal records under the law.
“The best crime-fighting tool is a good-paying job. That’s why I support giving New Yorkers a clean slate after they’ve paid their debt to society and gone years without an additional offense,” Hochul said. “I negotiated a compromise that protects public safety and boosts economic opportunity, and the final Clean Slate Law will help New Yorkers access jobs and housing while allowing police, prosecutors and school officials to protect their communities. And as our state faces a worker shortage, with more than 450,000 job openings right now, this new law will help businesses find more workers who will help them grow, expand and thrive.”
New York is the twelfth state in the nation to pass similar legislation, according to the Clean Slate Initiative, an organization in favor of the clean slate laws.
When the law fully goes into effect next year, criminal records of individuals with eligible misdemeanor convictions will be automatically sealed after three years from their release from incarceration and for those with certain felony convictions, after eight years assuming the convicts have no additional convictions.
The state…
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