Governor Tom Wolf is expected to sign legislation to allow people with low-level criminal convictions to have their records sealed from public view.
The plan, approved nearly unanimously by the Legislature, would let people petition the court to wipe minor, nonviolent crimes from their public criminal records. Charges like vandalism and trespassing could be erased from view of potential employers, landlords, and lenders, removing the handcuffs people live with long after they’ve served their time or paid the fines for low-level criminal convictions.
The bill is the product of many legislators’ efforts. Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin County) said she got involved soon after she was elected to her state House seat in 2012.
“When I first started, I don’t know if it’s normal, but lot of people came to me looking for jobs,” said Kim. “And I’m like, ‘OK, I’ll help you.’ But then they would say... ‘Well, I have a charge.’”
Someone petitioning the court to clear his or her public record would have to have gone a decade without criminal activity. Law enforcement would still be able to see a successful petitioner’s complete criminal history.
Criminal justice reform advocates are hailing the legislation as a means to prevent people from returning to prison by making it easier for them to find gainful employment and suitable housing.
“This is just huge, a huge step towards criminal justice reform,” said Kim. “There are so many people in cities and in rural areas who... makes a mistake, regrets it, pays their fines, maybe spends some time in jail. But this charge follows them for the rest of their lives, and it’s almost like a scarlet letter.”
The measure would take effect nine months after its enactment.
