Professor Sarah Lageson Awarded Dual Grants to Study the Real-World Impact of Clean Slate Expungement Policies

04.30.25—Professor Sarah Lageson has been awarded two research grants from the Clean Slate Initiative to conduct research on the implementation and impact of automatic criminal record expungement across the United States.

The first project — in collaboration with Dr. Robert Stewart at the University of Maryland — will examine the extent to which private background screening companies and data brokers comply with court-ordered expungements. The second study, conducted with professors Elsa Chen of Santa Clara University and Ericka Adams of San Jose State University, will assess the impact of these policies through survey and qualitative interview methods.

Both studies leverage empirical social science approaches, including surveying and interviewing hundreds of Clean-Slate eligible people across nine states and quantitatively analyzing administrative governmental and private sector data.

Automatic criminal record expungement, also known as Clean Slate policies, use algorithmic approaches to seal eligible criminal records that can create barriers for the nearly 1 in 3 Americans with a criminal record. Dozens of states have recently passed provisions for the automatic sealing of records.

“There is enormous potential for automated criminal record expungement to reduce discrimination and create pathways for better employment, housing and family relationships. However, we know little about how these policies work on the ground,” said Lageson “Our studies will empirically measure the impacts of expungement, identify gaps between policy and practice, and seek evidence-based approaches to addressing unintended consequences. A central aim of the research is to deepen our understanding of what it means to give a second chance.”

Project Descriptions:

• Do Data Brokers Comply with Clean Slate?
  Co-Investigator with Dr. Robert Stewart (University of Maryland)
  $322,435
• Impact and Awareness of Clean Slate Policy: A Longitudinal Multistate Investigation
  Co-Investigator with Elsa Chen (Santa Clara University) and Ericka Adams (San Jose State University)
  $424,881