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Hudson Common Council passes resolution in support of Clean Slate Act
MidHudson News is reporting that the Hudson Common Council Aug. 17, approved a resolution urging the state Legislature to pass the Clean Slate Act, to end the permanent punishment of more than two million state residents by creating an automatic process to seal conviction records. The resolution emphasizes that Clean Slate is essential for removing “systemic barriers to stable housing, employment and education,” reducing recidivism and “making our communities safer.” The bill has a diverse array of support statewide, including faith leaders, crime survivors, labor groups, business leaders such as JPMorgan Chase, and from the majority of New York voters. “Today, the city of Hudson made clear that it is time to give all New Yorkers a clean slate. The stigma of a conviction record has held back far too many people across our state, and it’s time we give everyone the opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities. When the legislature returns next session, I urge them to immediately pass the Clean Slate Act,” said Common Council Majority Leader Tiffany Garriga. Individuals would become eligible three years after they have completed their sentence for a misdemeanor conviction or seven years after a felony conviction and must be off of probation or parole. Anyone with subsequent convictions or pending charges would not qualify, nor would those with sex offenses. “... Continuing to punish people indefinitely, is completely counterintuitive to the power we all possess to grow and change, and it’s time we give everyone a clean slate,” said Cedric Fulton, civil rights manager at the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.