clean slate faces of clean slate 2-pager v2...do so because of his lack of consistent employment due...

Formoreinformation,contactyourCoreTeamleader(s)orCONECTorganizers:MattMcDermott

(matt.mcd9@gmail.com),IlanaOfgang(iofgang@gmail.com)orKristenEstabrook(kristen.estabrook@gmail.com).

Connecticut's 'Clean Slate' bill would automatically expunge criminal records after a person has served their sentence and then remained crime-free for several years. Behind

this important debate are REAL PEOPLE whose lives and stories we must keep at the forefront of our policy decisions. There are tens of thousands of people in Connecticut

impacted by this debate -- here are four of them, in their own words.

ROGSBERT “TAMMY” KING: “At20yearsofage,inaBridgeportcourtroom,Iwasexperiencinglaborpainswhileajudgesentencedmeto10yearsinjail.ItwasMarch17,1989.Iwastakenfromthecourtroomtoahospital,whereIgavebirthtomyson,Shawn,thenextday.Ispentsixhourswithhimbeforewewereseparated.

“DuringthoseyearsinwhichIwasasubstanceabuser,timeandtimeagainIwasgivenjailasmyonlyoption,nevertreatment.Jailwastheonlyoptionavailableforsubstanceabusers.MylastbrushwithlawenforcementwasinOctober2007.Followingthatarrest,Iwasgivenanotheroption--asubstanceabuseprogram.Ihavebeencleanandsobereversince.

“Despitehavingearnedmybachelor’sdegreeandhavingbeendrugandcrimefreeforsomanyyears,Istillgetturneddownforjobsbecauseofmyrecord.IfCleanSlatepasses,IwouldliketocontinuewithmyMaster’sinSocialWorkandbecomealicensedtherapist,openmyownpractice,andgivebacktomycommunity.Likesomanyotherswithacriminalrecord,Iammerelyseekingtoliveapeaceful,quietlifeasaproductivecitizenofsociety.”

RICKDELVALLE:“Afteryearsofbattlingmydrugaddictionandrepeatedarrests,Iwasfinallyabletogetcleanandsober.Ihavenowbeenalcoholanddrugfreeforoverelevenyears,andmylifehasbeentransformed.TodayIamahusbandandthefatheroftwosons,RickyandCarson.MywifeJessicaandIownandrunfiverecoveryhousesformen,withatotalofsixty-fivebeds,inNewHaven.Ourhousesprovidestructure,accountability,andsupporttomenbattlingthediseaseofaddiction.

“TodayIhavethehonorandprivilegeofworkingwithmenwithsubstanceabuseissues,employmentisahugestepforwardintheirlives.Iknowthathavingnopurposeinmylifewasabigpartofwhatkeptmestuckinmydisease.Whenamaninearlyrecoveryhasajob,hestartstofeelgoodabouthimselfandregainhisself-esteem,beginningtofeelhumanagain. Mygoalisnotonlytogetmyownrecordexpunged,butalsotohelpthemeninmyhouses,andallthoseacrossthestatewhosenonviolent,drug-relatedcrimesarewellinthepastandwhodeserveachanceatafuture.”

THEFACESOFCLEANSLATE

Formoreinformation,contactyourCoreTeamleader(s)orCONECTorganizers:MattMcDermott

(matt.mcd9@gmail.com),IlanaOfgang(iofgang@gmail.com)orKristenEstabrook(kristen.estabrook@gmail.com).

LONNIESPAULDING:“Atanearlyage,Iturnedtoalifethecrime,sellingdrugsandrobbery.Bytheageof17,Iwasgivenasentence3to5yearsinayouthdetentioncenter,untilIturned21.Duringthattime,Irealizedthatthislifeofcrimewasnotforme.Imadeachoicetochange.IdecidedthatIwantedmoreformylife,andIfoundawaytogetit:Iopenedmyownbusiness.

“OneofthethingsthatmademedecidetogointobusinesswasthatIknewthatIwouldhaveacriminalrecord,astigmathatwouldpreventmefromfindinggoodjobs.SoIfoundthisadinthebackofamagazineonhowtobeyourownbossandtolearntorepairleatherandvinyl.Isentthem$75theysentmearepairkit.Itaughtmyselfhowtorepairandhowtorefinishandrenewleatherandvinyl.35yearslater,I'minthatsamebusiness!

“NowIamleadingaprogramtohelpyoungmencomingbackfromprisontofindtheirway.Ithinkaperson,whomadeamistakeandpaidhisdebttosociety,shouldn’tbeshunnedforever.Theirrecordshouldn'tkeepthemfromfindingemploymentorgettingloansorPellGrantstogobacktoschoolandfinddecent-payingjobs.Ibelieveinredemption!”

ASTIJACKSON:“Whowouldhavethoughtdrugoffenseswouldtakesomuchtime?Evenwhenmyfatherleftprison,hestillhadtodotime.Hehadtowaitforpermissionfromhisparoleofficertoleavethestateandwaitonnumerousoccasionsforemployerstodenyhimajobbecausehehadbeenlabeleda“felon”.Evenafterfinishingparolein2018,he’sstillwaitingforhistimetoend:foratimehecanactuallygetajob,housingandrealindependence.MyDadlivesinthe

stateofAlabama,andeventhoughhecanlegallyleavethestate,hedoesn’thavethefinancestodosobecauseofhislackofconsistentemploymentduetohiscriminalrecord.Alabamadoesn’texactlywelcomethosewhowereinprisonwithopenarms.

“ButConnecticutisn’tAlabama.Thereisaprocessforexpungementthroughpetition,butittakestoomuchtime.Thosewhohavebeeninprisonorjailandcompletedparoleorprobationhavedoneenoughtimeandtheirchildrenhavetoo.Automaticexpungementwillreducetheamountoftimeittakestoreuniteparentsintotheirfamiliesasproviders.Itwillreducetheamountoftimethatindividualsarejobless,underemployed,withouthousingandleftfeelinghopeless.ConnecticutcouldleadasanexampleforthenationthroughCleanSlatelegislation.Becausewedon’thaveenoughtimetowaitanylonger.”

THEFACESOFCLEANSLATE