The Second Chance Gap
Law Professor Colleen Chien heads to Washington, D.C. to advocate for using technology to ensure individuals with criminal records get the 鈥渟econd chance鈥� they鈥檝e been promised.
Santa Clara Law Professor Colleen Chien鈥檚 research into the substantial roadblocks faced by millions of individuals with criminal records trying to reenter civilian life is helping fuel a national discussion on so-called Second Chance laws.
Representing 黑料网鈥檚 High Tech Law Institute, Chien, whose recent paper defines the second chance gap and zeroes in on the disconnect between a person鈥檚 eligibility for and their ability to take advantage of second chance relief, will travel to Washington, D.C. this week to participate in an event hosted by the Center for American Progress.
The Nov. 15 event, called , will feature criminal justice reform advocates, philanthropic leaders, and political leaders from both sides of the aisle, including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Koch Industries. Panelists will discuss ways to advance clean slate policy, or the automated clearing of criminal records of eligible individuals.
鈥淭he best remedy in the world would have no impact if no one used it,鈥� Chien wrote in her paper, explaining the need for tech-driven solutions to expand access to record-clearing. 鈥淐omputational code can be used to automate the identification, application for, and award of relief of eligible individuals.鈥�
In the U.S., about one in three people have some type of criminal record. Though dozens of states have enacted reforms to give these individuals 鈥渟econd chances鈥� such as regaining the right to vote, downgrading their convictions from felonies to misdemeanors, or clearing their records, very few have been able to take advantage of such relief, likely due to the complexity and expense of the application process.
Examining a random sample of approximately 15,000 adults seeking employment in the past 20 months, Chien estimates upwards of 40-50 percent Americans with criminal court records鈥攐r 20-25 million people鈥攃ould clean their record with more efficient record-clearing processes.
Chien said she hopes the Washington event is a productive discussion on ways to harness technology to close the Second Chance Gap. 鈥淚 hope that it empowers everyone鈥攁t all levels鈥攖o know they can take concrete steps now to help undo the damage of mass criminalization,鈥� she said.