Callahan Opposes Clean Slate Bill Approved by House

Hartford – The House of Representatives met on Thursday to take up a bill that effectively erases criminal history from individuals who have been previously convicted of certain crimes. The “Clean Slate” legislation was brought forth by advocates and Democratic legislators claiming that criminal records disallow those who were previously incarcerated from fully rehabilitating and reintegrating with society. According to State Rep. Callahan (R-New Fairfield), the bill fails to protect the victims of various crimes such as purposefully abandoning a child, bigotry, or carrying a gun on school grounds.

“There is a mechanism in place, through the Board of Pardons and Paroles, for criminals to petition for an erasure of their criminal records after they have paid their debt to society. The bill approved during the House session goes a step further, by automatically erasing criminal activity. Consequently, the policy takes away the peace of mind and rights of the victims of these crimes,” said Rep. Callahan.

Callahan, a former Probations Officer, went on to explain that a better route to take would be to streamline the application process to the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The function of the board is to determine whether an erasure would ultimately be beneficial to society. It also grants the victim of a crime an opportunity to explain to the board on how a crime or crimes has impacted them before an erasure is granted. However, the approved legislation effectively takes the decision-making authority away from the board.

“I’ve written hundreds of letters on behalf of individuals who are presenting an application to the Board of Pardons and Paroles. I believe that individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation are deserving of a second chance. The function of the board is critical in striking a balance, but a one-size-fits-all policy to wipe away very serious crimes will be a detriment to all Connecticut residents,” said Rep. Callahan.

The bill cleared the Senate with no Republican support and was approved by a final vote tally of 91 to 56 in the House in concurrence.

If the Governor signs the bill into law, then employers will be barred from critical knowledge about job applicants. This opens the door for frivolous law suits to be filed against Connecticut’s job creators, who have been squeezed throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic.

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