Harper Backs Measure Automatically Sealing Records for Certain Prior Offenses

SPRINGFIELD, ILL- This week, state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, helped lead the effort to pass the Clean Slate Act, an automatic record sealing approach for certain, previously incarcerated individuals. 

“We all make mistakes in life,” Harper said. “Yet, formerly incarcerated individuals are punished for their mistakes their whole lives through detachment and issues with employment and housing, leading to an array of mental and physical health concerns. We want them to be able to move forward with their lives upon release from prison and this measure removes the burdensome process they have to go through to get back on track by automatically sealing records of certain offenses.” 

The Harper-backed Senate Bill 1784 transitions the sealing process for certain criminal and petty offense records from a petition-based process to an automatic one. It does not fully guarantee that a record will be sealed, but it starts the process for qualified cases. Specific cases, such as, but not limited to, bodily harm and murder, sex offenses, no contact orders, robbery and class x felonies are unqualified for sealing. 

Senate Bill 1784 specifically deals with sealing records, not expunging them. Law enforcement and prosecutors will still be able to access records, if necessary, in the future. 

The Harper-backed measure received bipartisan support, and has returned to the Senate for concurrence.