VOICES OF REDEMPTION
A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

ALLIANCE FOR
SAFETY AND JUSTICE .

ABOUT ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY
AND JUSTICE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) is

Voices of Redemption: A National Survey of

a multi-state organization that aims

People with Records is made possible through

to replace over-incarceration with

the philanthropic support provided to ASJ from

more effective public safety solutions

numerous foundations, including Arnold Ventures,

rooted in crime prevention, community

Ballmer Group, Blue Meridian Partners, The Just

health, rehabilitation, and support for crime victims.

Trust, Meadow Fund, Yellow Chair Foundation, and

Focused on the largest states in the country, we

many others. Thank you.

partner with state leaders and advocates to achieve
safety and justice reforms through advocacy,

In producing this report, ASJ leaned on the

organizing, coalition building, research, and

experience of staff and members of TimeDone, a

communications.

nationwide membership community of people with
records joining together to build strong families and
communities by organizing to end post-conviction
poverty. Many thanks are owed to them for their
dedication and ongoing commitment to elevating
the voices of people with records in safety policy
debates. Thank you for your partnership.
Many people played a role in developing and
executing this work. ASJ would like to thank Seiji
Carpenter and David Kordus at David Binder
Research. Most importantly, we would like to thank
all of the people who have told us their stories and
allowed us to learn from their experiences. We owe
a great deal to those who have allowed themselves
to be profiled in this report and who speak out with
great courage and conviction. Thank you deeply.

2 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

TABLE OF

CONTENTS
Executive Summary.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
Introduction and Background. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7
Who are People with Records?.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
What are the Impacts of Having a Record? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
Can People with Records Get Record Clearance Relief? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 13
What Leads to Crime? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
What are People with Records’ Experiences Being Victims of Crime?.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
Conclusion and Recommendations.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
Data and Methodology .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 23

3 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
States across the nation continue to grapple with the

of People with Records. A nationally representative

need for changes in our criminal justice and public

sample of 4,060 people across the country were

safety systems. There is increasing recognition that

contacted. From that pool, 554 people who had been

over-reliance on incarceration without enough

arrested, convicted, or incarcerated were interviewed

prevention and treatment locks communities into

about their experiences with, and impacts of contact

cycles of crime.

with the criminal justice system.

The voices and experiences of people who are

The 2023 National Survey of People with Records

impacted by crime and incarceration are critical to

reveals that the majority of people with records have

informing the urgent debate on public safety and

suffered significant barriers to economic mobility as

defining the best path forward to stop the cycle of

a result of their record, nearly all have been victims of

crime and promote safety and justice.

crime who did not receive support in the aftermath
of harm, and most experienced crisis prior to arrest.

Understanding the short and long-term impacts of
these policies, however — particularly the impacts of

The following key findings from this survey point

post-sentencing policies on people with records —

to opportunities for further research and reform

has been alarmingly limited.

to advance policies that balance accountability,
prevention, rehabilitation, and second chances that

To help decision-makers understand these impacts,

keep all communities safe.

in March, 2023, Alliance for Safety and Justice
commissioned a first-of-its-kind National Survey

KEY FINDINGS
Economic impacts of having a record
The 2023 National Survey of People with Records shows that people with records have a wide range of
demographics and backgrounds — but they overwhelmingly experience economic devastation as a result of
having a record. Of those sampled:

• 2 out of 3 of people with a record (67%) were
over the age of 35

• 1 in 5 people with a record (20%) had an annual
gross household income of less than $25,000

• 7 in 10 people with a record (69%) were last
convicted or incarcerated more than five
years ago

• 2 in 5 people with a record (42%) had an annual
gross household income of less than $50,000
•

4 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

1 2
MORE T HAN

IN

• More than 4 in 10 people with a past conviction
(44%) cited difficulties attaining housing

people with a past conviction (55%)
cited difficulties attaining a job,
maintaining employment,
or making a living

• More than 1 in 2 people with a felony conviction
(53%) had been evicted or forced to move
because they were unable to pay housing bills*

Challenges accessing record relief
Most people with past convictions have been unable to access record clearance, and those who have had their
records cleared found the process difficult:

• More than 3 in 4 people with a past conviction
(76%) had not removed or cleared any
conviction from their record

• Of those surveyed who were able to remove
or clear a past conviction from their record,
more than half (51%) reported that they found it
difficult to do so*

Factors that contribute to arrest, conviction, or incarceration
People with records often faced multiple crises prior to arrest, including chronic unemployment, housing
instability, or limited options for resolving substance use disorder or unaddressed trauma. The 2023 National
Survey of People with Records reveals that the criminal justice intervention did not effectively address, or even
exacerbated these underlying drivers.

• Nearly 2 in 3 people with a past conviction
(64%) cited financial struggles as a factor that
led to their arrest
Nearly 6 in 10 people with a past
conviction (58%) cited mental health as a
factor that led to their arrest
• Of people with a past conviction who cited
mental health as a factor that led to their arrest,
nearly 1 in 2 (48%) said their experience being
convicted or incarcerated made their mental
health worse
• Nearly 6 in 10 people with a past conviction
(57%) cited substance use or addiction as a
factor that led to their arrest

• Of people with a past conviction who cited
financial struggles as a factor that led to their
arrest, nearly of half (48%) said their experience
being convicted or incarcerated made their
financial struggles worse
• Half of people with a past conviction (50%) cited
trauma from prior crime victimization as a factor
that led to their arrest
• Of people with a past conviction who cited
trauma from prior crime victimization as a factor
that led to their arrest, nearly 4 in 10 (39%) said
their experience being convicted or incarcerated
made this trauma worse

5 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

The impact of victimization on people with records
People with records are much more likely to become victims of crime than people without records. The 2023
National Survey of People with Records found that of those sampled:

9 out of 10 people with a record (91%) have been a
victim of a crime, compared to less than half of people
who do not have a record (44%)

• More than 1 in 3 people with records who have
been a victim of a crime (37%), were victims both
before and after their arrest
• More than 1 in 3 people who have been
incarcerated in jail or prison for one week
or longer (35%) were victimized during their
incarceration

NEARLY

2 3
IN

people with records who have been a victim of a
crime (65%), were victims before their arrest

• Types of crime personally experienced by
people with records:
• Someone injuring or threatening to
injure with a weapon or physical force:
1 in 2 (51%)
• Someone forcing, or trying to force
sex or sexual contact: Nearly 1 in 4
(23%)
• Someone shooting at you with a gun:
Nearly 1 in 4 (22%)
• Someone trying to kill you: Nearly 1 in
4 (22%)
• Someone killing your family member
or loved one: Nearly 1 in 5 (19%)

According to results from the 2022 National Survey of Victims’ Views, a nationwide survey of crime victims
regarding their experiences with the justice system and public safety policy preferences, survivors who reported
having records were more likely than people without records to have wanted help that they did not receive:

• Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) would have wanted but
did not receive counseling or mental health
support, while fewer than 3 in 10 (28%)
received it
• More than half (53%) would have wanted
but did not receive help understanding
and navigating the civil and criminal courts
following their victimization, while only
about 1 in 6 (17%) received this help
• 1 in 3 (33%) would have wanted but never
received emergency or temporary housing,
while only about 1 in 12 (8%) received it

51% 4%
VS.

More than half (51%) of victims
with a record would have wanted but
did not receive compensation from their
state victim compensation program,
while only 4% received compensation

6 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

INTRODUCTION

AND BACKGROUND
More than 78 million Americans have a criminal

The voices and experiences of people who are

record. Yet despite the promise of having paid

impacted by crime and incarceration are critical

their debt to society, the reality is, many of them

to informing the urgent debate on public safety

will find themselves caught in a labyrinth of more

and defining the best path forward to stop the

than 40,000 legal restrictions and barriers that

cycle of crime and promote safety and justice. This

thwart their best efforts to achieve stability.1 These

community is best positioned to inform lawmakers

prohibitions place undue burdens on millions of

about the impacts of current policies — and even

people and impose an invisible, life-long sentence

more importantly, can offer insight into the root

that can make it difficult to get back to work, find

causes of crime so that lawmakers may pursue

housing, or support their families.

safety solutions that are most effective at preventing
crime from happening in the first place.

Most of these legal barriers have nothing to do with
public safety and do far more harm than good. In

To help decision-makers understand both the

fact, they can make it harder — not easier — to stay

barriers faced by people with records and the

out of the cycle of crime. Research shows people

circumstances that led to arrest and incarceration,

who have paid their dues to society are less likely to

in March, 2023, Alliance for Safety and Justice

return to crime and more likely to contribute to the

commissioned a first-of-its-kind National Survey

stability of their families and communities if they

of People with Records. A nationally representative

are not burdened by needless barriers.2

sample of 4,060 people across the country were
contacted. From that pool, 554 people who had

When someone is denied a second chance to

been arrested, convicted, or incarcerated — were

provide for their family, the entire community bears

interviewed about their experiences with, and

the social and economic impact. These barriers

impacts of contact with the criminal justice system.

even impact future generations — at least 33 million
children in the United States now have at least one

This report is a summary of the study’s findings.

parent with a record.

3

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Record: A past arrest or conviction
People with records: Individuals who have an arrest or conviction record. People who have
been arrested may or may not have been convicted of a crime and may or may not have been
incarcerated. People with a conviction may or may not have been incarcerated.

7 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

WHO ARE

PEOPLE WITH RECORDS?
An estimated 78 million people in the United States have a criminal record — that is, one in three adults
nationally, and as many as one in two in some states.4 While some of these numbers overlap,5 researchers have
estimated that as many as 45 million people have a past misdemeanor conviction,6 and nearly 20 million have
a past felony conviction.7

People of color and people from low-income backgrounds
are overrepresented
National research on disparities in criminal justice

National studies also reveal that the collateral

outcomes reveals that people of color receive harsher

consequences of having a record also impact people

responses at every stage of the criminal justice

differently across race demographics. For example,

system, resulting in overrepresentation of people of

one study estimates that Latino people who have an

color among those with records. For example:

old prison record face an average lifetime earning

• Between 1980 and 2020, law enforcement
arrested Black people at nearly three times the
rate of white people, and Indigenous people at
one and a half times the rate of white people.8
• Black people were more than three times as
likely as white people to be arrested on a drug
charge,9 despite research showing that Black
and White people use drugs at similar rates.10
• By 2010, according to one study, approximately
8% of all Americans but 23% of Black Americans
had an old felony conviction record.11
• Research shows that Black people account for
12% of the US population but 35% of people
with an old prison record, and Latino people
account for 18% of the US population but 30% of
people with an old prison record.12

loss of $511,500, Black people who have been to
prison face an average lifetime earning loss of
$358,900, and White people who have been to prison
lose $267,000 on average.13
National research also points to income disparities.
Average incomes are significantly lower among all
people with old conviction records compared to
people without records.

• People with misdemeanor convictions earn on
average $26,900 per year
• People with felony convictions earn on average
$23,000 per year
• People with a prison record earn on average
$6,700 per year14

8 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

Survey demographics vary widely, representing a broad cross
section of the country
The 2023 National Survey of People with

Voting habits and political affiliation

Records interviewed people with a wide range

• 2 in 3 people (66%) were registered to vote

of demographics and backgrounds. The
demographics of the people surveyed who had
records are as follows:

Gender
• 4 in 10 people (39%) identified as female

• More than 4 in 5 people who were registered to vote
(81%) voted in the 2020 Presidential election
• The political party with which survey respondents
most closely identified were similar regardless of
whether they had a record or not
– People with records

• 6 in 10 people (60%) identified as male

		

• 35% Democrat

• 1% of people identified as having a gender identity
other than male or female

		

• 24% Republican

		

• 26% Independent

		

• 15% other, don’t know or prefer not to say

Age
• 1 in 3 people (33%) were under age 35
• 2 out of 3 people (67%) were over age 35
• More than 1 in 4 people with records (27%)
were age 55 or older

Race and ethnicity
• 1 in 2 people (54%) described themselves as white
• 4 in 10 people (46%) described themselves as
Latino or Hispanic (25%), Black or African American
(15%), Asian American or Pacific Islander (1%), Native
American (1%), Mixed Race (3%) or other (1%)

– People without records
		

• 33% Democrat

		

• 29% Republican

		

• 25% Independent

		

• 13% other, don’t know or prefer not to say

Contact with the justice system
• More than 1 in 2 people with a conviction (51%) said
their most serious conviction was a misdemeanor
• Less than 2 in 5 people with a conviction (37%) said
their most serious conviction was a felony

• More than 1 in 5 people (22%) had a college degree

• Six percent of people with a conviction said their
most serious conviction was an infraction and 5%
said they did not know.

• Almost 1 in 4 people (24%) were a high school
graduate or had earned a GED

• More than 1 in 2 people (55%) were last arrested or
convicted more than 10 years ago

• More than 3 in 4 people (77%) did not have a
college degree

• More than 2 in 3 people (69%) were last arrested or
convicted more than five years ago

Education

Type of community lived in

• More than 3 in 4 people who had been incarcerated
(76%) were in jail or prison for less than a year

• About 1 in 4 people (26%) urban
• About 1 in 4 people (27%) suburban
• About 1 in 2 people (47%) town/rural

9 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS

OF HAVING A RECORD?
People with records face extreme economic devastation
People with past convictions face lifelong barriers to

options that require licenses, like a cosmetologist,

stability. Long after their sentences are completed,

or massage therapist.17 Furthermore, while federal

many people with past convictions face a rarely

financial aid practices have recently changed to

acknowledged second sentence: over 40,000 legal

improve access to higher education for many people

prohibitions on eligibility to many jobs, professional

with records, people with past convictions continue

licenses, housing, and more. These prohibitions

to face exclusion from a number of state financial aid

often thwart their best efforts to stabilize and move

and scholarship programs.18 It also remains common

forward in their lives.15 The barriers people with past

practice for colleges and universities to consider a

convictions face that undermine safety and stability

person’s record during the admissions process,19

include prohibitions on eligibility for employment,

representing a barrier to advancing in the job market.

education and stable housing.16 These barriers leave
people with records and their families financially
devastated. Of those surveyed who had records:

• 1 in 5 people (20%) reported having an annual
gross household income of less than $25,000

55%

• 2 in 5 people (42%) reported having an annual
gross household income of less than $50,000
• 2 in 5 people with a felony conviction (40%)
reported having an annual gross household
income of less than $25,000*
• 6 in 10 (59%) people with a felony conviction
reported having an annual gross household
income of less than $50,000*

MORE THAN

2 3
IN

More than 1 in 2
people with a past
conviction (55%) cited
difficulties attaining
a job, maintaining
employment, or making
a living

Private landlords and public housing limit the
eligibility of people with past convictions to attain
housing, which destabilizes individuals and whole
families. Among respondents:

• More than 1 in 2 people with a felony conviction
(53%) have been evicted or forced to move
because they were unable to pay housing bills*

people with a felony conviction (69%) said that
they have had trouble paying for groceries*
People with records experience numerous restrictions
on eligibility for employment. Employers can
prohibit people with past convictions from eligibility

More than 4 in 10 people with a
past conviction (44%) cited difficulties
attaining housing

depending on the state and the law, including career

10 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

These, and barriers like them make it virtually impossible for many people with records to gain traction
achieving economic stability for themselves and their families that may lift them out of cycles of crisis
and crime.

NEARLY

3 IN 4

people who have a felony conviction (73%)
have had a problem attaining a job, maintaining
employment, or making a living*

For each of the following, please indicate how much of a problem, if at all, this has been
for you after your conviction or incarceration.
THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AFTER CONVICTION OR INCARCERATION:

44%
44%
44%

Difficulty attaining housing
Difficulty attaining housing
Difficulty attaining housing

72%
72%
57%
57%72%
57%
55%
55% 73%
55%
71% 73%
73%
71%
71%
36%
36%
53%
36%
53%
49%
53%
49%
49% 60%
60%
78%
60%
73% 78%
78%
73%
73%

Difficulty attaining a job, maintaining
employment,
or making
living
Difficulty
attaining
a job, a
maintaining
Difficulty attaining
a job,ormaintaining
employment,
making a living
employment, or making a living
Difficulty attaining education such as
admission
to school,
trainingsuch
or as
Difficulty
attaining
education
Difficulty
attaining
education
such
as or
getting student
or professional
loans
admission
to school,
training
admission
to school,
training orloans
getting
student
or professional
getting student or professional loans
Difficulty paying rent or bills
Difficulty paying rent or bills
Difficulty paying rent or bills

Please indicate if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your
own financial situation. If it doesn’t apply to you, just indicate that.
INDICATED AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT ABOUT FINANCIAL SITUATION:

In a worse financial position
because
offinancial
their record
In a worse
position
In a worsebecause
financialofposition
their record
because
theirenough
record
Are not
able toofsave

moneyAre
to retire
when
not able
to they
save are
enough
Aremoney
not able
save
enough
ofto
retirement
age
to
retire
when
they are
money to retire when
they are age
of retirement
of retirement age
PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

PEOPLE WITH A CONVICTION

•

39%
39%
59%
39%
51%
59%
59%
51%
51%56%
56%
72%
56%
72%
65%
72%
65%
65%

•

PEOPLE WITH A CONVICTION
PEOPLE WITH A CONVICTION

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

11 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE

•

PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE
PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE

TERRANCE, CALIFORNIA
In 2004, I went to prison for violating probation after getting caught with drugs. In my
initial case, I faced a twenty-year sentence if I went to trial, so I took a plea deal.
Within two weeks of my release in 2007, I enrolled in college, and while there, I got
married, and we had our first child. That’s when I realized how extremely difficult it is to rent with a criminal record.
I was low-income and financially eligible for low-income housing, but my record disqualified me from qualifying
for such housing. As a result, we had to live in hotels and with people, and the stress was eating away at us. My
grades began to plummet.
Finally, we found a place 35 miles from campus. I had to take the bus every day, which was a three-hour round
trip. Later, we got accepted into a three-bedroom house to rent on campus family housing, and we finally had a
place to stay.
To maintain access to student housing after completing my Bachelor’s degree, I went to school for my Master’s.
However, when I finished, my problems started again. First, a slumlord rented me a roach-infested apartment.
When the conditions became unbearable, we moved into another house, but there were huge rats that were
eating holes in our walls. When I finally withheld rent because of the rodent infestation, the landlord evicted us.
Eventually, we found another apartment where I currently reside, but due to the eviction and my record, the
landlord demanded an extra month’s security deposit.
I have been out of prison for over 15 years, but because my wife married me, even though she never committed a
crime, it has made her life difficult. I now have three kids who have to go to school in bad neighborhoods because
no one will rent to us in nice neighborhoods.
Everyone else in the house has to suffer because of me. When will redemption be possible?
Today, I focus on organizing others who are facing the same barriers I have in the hopes that I can help them find
hope and healing.

People who have served a community supervision
term reported significant economic barriers. Of
people surveyed who have served time on probation
or parole:

• More than 1 in 2 (51%) reported facing difficulty
attaining housing after conviction or incarceration.
• Nearly 2 in 3 (63%) reported facing difficulty
attaining a job, maintaining employment, or
making a living after conviction or incarceration

• Nearly 7 in 10 (68%) reported difficulty getting
ahead after conviction or incarceration.
• More than 6 in 10 (61%) said that they have
struggled to pay fines and fees following
conviction or incarceration
• Nearly 2 in 3 (65%) said they have had difficulty
paying rent or bills after an incarceration or
conviction

12 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

• Nearly 2 in 3 (63%) report not being able to
save enough money to retire when they are of
retirement age

• More than 1 in 4 people whose most serious
conviction was a misdemeanor (26%) cited
difficulty attaining housing

• Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) said difficulty making a
living or financial struggles was a factor that
led to their arrest. Of those who said this was
a factor, twice as many said their conviction or
incarceration made these issues worse than
better (50% worse vs. 24% better)

• Nearly 1 in 2 people whose most serious
conviction was a misdemeanor (47%)
cited difficulty attaining a job, maintaining
employment, or making a living

• More than 4 in 10 (41%) report having had
suicidal thoughts after an incarceration or
conviction
Even people who have the lowest levels of contact
with the justice system cited difficulty overcoming
economic barriers to achieve stability.

51%

More than 1 in 2 people
whose most serious
conviction was a
misdemeanor (51%)
cited difficulty paying
rent or bills

55%

More than half of
people incarcerated for
less than a year (55%)
cited difficulty finding
a job, maintaining
employment, or making
a living

• 1 in 4 people whose most serious conviction was
a misdemeanor (25%) cited difficulty in attaining
education, such as admission to school, training,
or getting student or professional loans
• About a third of people incarcerated for less
than a year (32%) cited difficulty in attaining
education such as admission to school, trainings,
or getting student or professional loans

13 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

34%

More than 1 in 3
people incarcerated
for less than a year
(34%) cited difficulty
finding housing

54%

More than half of
people incarcerated
for less than a
year (54%) cited
difficulty paying
rent or bills

The 2023 National Survey of People with Records also
shows an aging population of people with records
who are unprepared for retirement. Despite the fact
that 9 out of 10 people with records who are Boomers
(ages 59-66) or Seniors (over the age of 67) are more
than 10 years away from their last arrest or conviction:

• 1 in 4 people with incarceration or conviction
records who are Boomers or Seniors (25%) said
difficulty attaining housing has been a problem
after their conviction or incarceration
• More than 1 in 3 people with incarceration or
conviction records who are Boomers or Seniors

(34%) said difficulty attaining a job, maintaining
employment, or making a living has been a
problem after their conviction or incarceration
• Nearly 1 in 3 people with records with
incarceration or conviction records who are
Boomers or Seniors (30%) said difficulty paying
rent or bills has been a problem after their
conviction or incarceration
• More than 1 in 3 people with records who are
Boomers or Seniors (36%) agreed that they are
not able to save enough money to retire when at
the age of retirement

ARTISE, OHIO
Growing up in Washington, DC, I witnessed many atrocities due to the
era’s raging crack epidemic in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. This
experience had an impact on my life that was so traumatic that I was sent
to Ohio with hopes of getting my life back on track. But unprocessed
childhood trauma led me down the wrong path.
At 15 years old, I was sentenced to Ohio’s prison system. When I was
released in January, 2008, I wanted more than anything to stand on
my own two feet and build a new life. But like many people with a
record, I found countless doors closed to me. I spent a year fruitlessly
looking for work.
What made it especially difficult was that I went into the system as a 15-year-old child and came out
as an adult. I had no job history, no driver’s license, no rental history or credit history, no experience
looking for jobs or housing. I didn’t experience the normal ramp up to adulthood. It was just BOOM —
you’re out, you’re in your 30s, and you’re on your own.
I have found it incredibly difficult to sign an apartment lease or acquire a professional license let
alone to buy a house. These systems don’t just hold us back, they often lock our families into poverty,
making it harder to escape cycles of crime and victimization for generations.
I have been fortunate. People took a chance and invested in me, and I have been able to find some
stability. I work as a re-entry coordinator and substance abuse counselor. I help people leaving prison
find the right treatment and resources to overcome substance abuse addiction and recidivism.

14 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

CAN PEOPLE WITH RECORDS GET

RECORD CLEARANCE RELIEF?
Most people with records do not attain expungement
Nearly every state has existing laws that allow people

Most people with a past conviction have been

to petition to seal or clear their criminal record after

unable to access record clearance, and those

a certain amount of time. Unfortunately, the petition

who have had their records cleared found the

process to clear criminal records in most states is

process difficult:

complicated and burdensome—and often costly.
Most of these laws are also very limited in scope and
only eligible for certain types of crimes.

3 4
MORE T HAN

The ability to clear records when appropriate is an
essential tool to allow people with records to regain

IN

economic stability and mobility, expand their
capacity to care for family members, and enhance
their connectedness to communities and civic
engagement.
Despite the availability in most jurisdictions of
record clearing procedures, most people with

people surveyed with a past
conviction (76%) have not removed or
cleared any conviction from
their record20

records do not benefit from these laws. Many are
not apprised of their eligibility for record relief,
while others attempt to clear their records only
to find the process difficult or not successful. Still
others are ineligible for relief even if their locality

Of those surveyed who were able to remove

has some types of relief available. The inability

or clear a past conviction from their record,

to attain record relief contributes to economic

more than half (51%) reported that they found it

devastation and hopelessness.

difficult to do so.*

15 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

Difficulty attaining housing

72%

57%
55%

Difficulty attaining a job, maintaining
employment, or making a living
Difficulty attaining education such as
admission to school, training or
getting student or professional loans

36%

73%
71%

53%
49%
60%

Difficulty paying rent or bills
WHAT

78%
73%

LEADS TO CRIME?

Crisis drives crime — and often worsens after being sentenced
When people facing crisis are disconnected

People with records often face multiple crises

from access to support and pathways to stability,

prior to arrest, including chronic unemployment,

they often become vulnerable to experience

housing
39%instability, or limited options for resolving
substance use disorder
59% or unaddressed trauma,
isolation and51%
hopelessness. People with a felony

preventable
harmfinancial
— including
In a worse
positionbecoming a

because
of their recorda crime and
victim of crime
or committing

cycling in and out of the justice system.
Are not able to save enough
money to retire when they are
of retirement age

3 IN 4

PEOPLE WITH A CONVICTION

MORE
THAN

conviction cite experiencing these crises at the
56%
highest rates. Of people with records
72% surveyed:
65%

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE

people with a felony conviction (77%) said
difficulty making a living or financial struggles
were a factor in their arrest*

For each of the following, please indicate how much it was a factor in your arrest, if any.
THIS WAS A FACTOR IN ARREST:

58%
65%
68%

Challenges with mental health

57%

Challenges with
substance use or addiction

66%
62%

64%

Difficulty making a living
or financial struggles

50%

Trauma from having been a victims of
crime or other experiences in life

•

PEOPLE WITH ANY PAST CONVICTION

•

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

16 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

Challenges with mental health

77%
76%

54%
60%

•

PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE

48%

56%

The 2023 National Survey of People with Records
a worse
financial
position
reveals thatInthese
factors
often
worsen after
because of their record

incarceration or conviction. In other words, justice

being 39%
convicted or incarcerated made these
59% to those who said it
issues worse compared
51%
got better (48% worse vs. 25% better)

system intervention
not effectively
Are not ableeither
to savedid
enough

39%

56%

59%people with a felony
• Three times as many
72%
51%
conviction who had cited financial
struggles
65%
drivers. In the survey:
as
an
issue
that
led
to
their
arrest
said
their
Are not able to save enough
56%
conviction
or
incarceration
made
financial
money to retire when they are
72%
• Of people
withWITH
a past
conviction
who
cited
PEOPLE
WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
INCARCERATED
FOR ONEwho
WEEK OR
MORE
PEOPLE
CONVICTION
ofA retirement
age
struggles worsePEOPLE
compared
to those
said
65%
challenges with mental health as a factor
they got better (60% worse vs. 19% better)*
that led to their arrest, nearly twice as many
said that the
experience
of being convicted
PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE
PEOPLE
WITH A CONVICTION
• Of people with a
past conviction who cited
or incarcerated made these issues worse
trauma from victimization or other experiences
compared to those who said they got better
as a factor that led to their arrest, 1.4 times
(48% worse vs. 26% better).
as many said that the experience of being
convicted or incarcerated made these issues
• Of people with a felony conviction who cited
worse compared to those who said they got
challenges with mental health as a factor
58% better)
better (39% worse vs. 28%
that led to
their arrest,
nearly
twice as many
Challenges
with mental
health
65%
said that the experience of being convicted
68%
• Among people with a felony conviction
who
or incarcerated made these issues worse
58%
cited
trauma
from
victimization
or
other
57%
Challenges with
compared
to
thosewith
who
saidhealth
they go better
Challenges
mental
66%
substance
use
or addiction
experiences as a factor that65%
led to their arrest,
(56% worse and 30% better)*
62%
more than twice as many said68%
that these
issues
got
worse
compared
to
those
who said
57%
Challenges with
64%
• Of people with
a past
conviction
Difficulty
making
a livingwho cited
66%
substance
use
or addiction
they got better (56% worse vs. 24% better)*
77%
or financial
struggles
financial struggles
as a factor
that led to their
62%
76%
arrest, twice as many said the experience of
In a worse financial position
to
retire when they
are
address ormoney
evenbecause
exacerbated
of theirthese
recordunderlying
of retirement age

50%

making
a living
Trauma from Difficulty
having been
a victims
of
or financial
struggles
crime or other
experiences
in life

1 2

64%
54%
60%

77%
76%

50%

Trauma from having been a victims of
PEOPLE WITH ANY PAST CONVICTION
crime or other experiences in life

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

PEOPLE INCARCERATED
FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE
54%

PEOPLE WITH ANY PAST CONVICTION

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

PEOPLE INCARCERATED FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE

MORE
THAN

IN

people with a felony conviction (56%) 60%
said
challenges with mental health were made worse*

For each of the following, please indicate if your experience being convicted or
incarcerated made these issues better, worse, or had no effect 48%
Challenges with mental health

56%

BEING CONVICTED OR INCARCERATED MADE THESE ISSUES WORSE:

Difficulty making a living or
Challenges with
mental
health
financial
struggles

48%
48%
39%

Trauma Difficulty
from having
beenaaliving
victims
making
or
of crime or other financial
experiences
in life
struggles
PEOPLE from
WITH PAST
CONVICTIONS
OF ALL TYPES
Trauma
having
been a victims
of crime or other experiences in life

•

PEOPLE WITH PAST CONVICTIONS OF ALL TYPES

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
39%

•

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

17 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

48%

60%
56%
56%60%
56%

In general,
what do
you think is
the biggest
cause of
most crime?

alcohol

drugs

my environment

addiction

poverty
violence

lack of education

mental health
economy

no support

no
opportunity

employment

desperation

substance use

SUCCATTI, CALIFORNIA
I’ve lived with abuse my whole life. I was a victim of child sexual abuse, rape, and severe domestic
violence. I had to move states to ensure my safety.
In 2003 I lost my job while out on disability. I was newly pregnant with my third child and terrified
that I would not be able to feed my children. Someone asked me if I would be open to making quick
cash by selling drugs, and out of desperation, I agreed. When my third child was 18 months old, I was
arrested in Arkansas.
At the same time, unbeknownst to me, I was suffering from a pituitary
adenoma — a brain tumor that doctors later said caused me to lose my ability to
reason. I underwent emergency brain surgery while out on bail from the arrest
and went through the entire ordeal with only the help and support of my mother.
Nine months later, the state of Arkansas locked me up.
When I came home from serving my time, I couldn’t get a job, was banned from
low-income housing, and couldn’t even get food stamps or financial cash aid due
to arcane laws that basically prevent the formerly incarcerated from starting over
on solid footing. Today, I’ve been on parole for 11 years. But I am still not done
being punished by the system — with parole requirements creating more barriers
to success.
Through all of this, the biggest thing I have come to understand is that trauma is
the basis of just about anything someone is going through. I battle depression on
a regular basis, but I make it my business to get sunlight, pray and do my best not
to give up because it isn’t about me. It’s about my kids.

18 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

WHAT ARE PEOPLE WITH RECORDS’ EXPERIENCES

BEING VICTIMS OF CRIME?

People with records are nearly twice as likely to be victims of
crime compared to people without records — and most don’t
receive support they need in the aftermath
People with records are much more likely to become victims of crime than people without records. The 2023
National Survey of People with Records found that of those sampled:

Nearly 1 in 2
9 out of 10

people who were a victim of crime before their
first arrest (49%) cite trauma from having been a
victim of a crime as a factor that led to their arrest.

people with a record (91%) have been a victim of
a crime, compared to less than half of people who
do not have a record (44%)

• Nearly 2 in 3 people who have been a victim of
a crime (65%), were victims before their arrest
• More than 1 in 3 people who have been a victim
of a crime (37%), were victims both before and
after their arrest

• More than 1 in 3 people who have been
incarcerated in jail or prison for one week
or longer (35%) were victimized during
their incarceration

19 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

Difficulty making a living or
use or struggles
addiction
financial

41%

making
or
Trauma Difficulty
from having
beenaaliving
victims
financial
struggles
of crime or other experiences in life

39%

48%

60%

47%

60%
56%
The 2023 National Survey of People with Records also found that people with records are often victims of
Trauma from having been a victims
38%
violent crimes
— and PAST
thatCONVICTIONS
people with
a felony conviction
experience these crimes at even higher rates.
PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
OF
ofPEOPLE
crime WITH
or other experiences
inALL
lifeTYPES
56%

1 2

A FELONY
CONVICTION*
people (59%) PEOPLE
whoWITH
have
had
a felony conviction have
personally experienced being shot at with a gun*

PEOPLE WITH OLD CONVICTIONS OR
INCARCERATIONS OF ALL TYPES

IN

Here is a list of types of crime. For each, please indicate if it is something you personally
have experienced.
YES, THIS TYPE OF CRIME WAS PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED

Someone injuring or threatening to
Someone
injuring or
to
injure
with a weapon
or threatening
physical force
injure with a weapon or physical force

23%
23%

Someone forcing, or trying
forcing,
trying
to Someone
force sex or
sexualorcontact
to force sex or sexual contact

48%
48%

19%
19%

Someone killing your family
Someone
killingoryour
family
member
loved
one
member or loved one

•

50%
50%

22%
22%

Someone trying to kill you
Someone trying to kill you

70%
70%

37%
37%

22%
22%

Someone shooting at you with a gun
Someone shooting at you with a gun

PEOPLE WITH A RECORD
PEOPLE WITH A RECORD

51%
51%

44%
44%

•

PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*
PEOPLE WITH A FELONY CONVICTION*

Being a victim of crime can have long-term

reported having records were more likely than

consequences, including severely detrimental

people without records to have wanted help that they

impacts on survivors’ financial, physical, and

did not receive:

psychological well being. These impacts are even
more significant for people who have experienced
repeat victimization or who have been the
victims of serious or violent crimes — which

• Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) would have wanted but did
not receive counseling or mental health support,
while fewer than 3 in 10 (28%) received it

is disproportionately the case for victims with
records. Given this, victims with records often have
significant need for help following victimization.
With proper support, the consequences of
victimization can be addressed and people harmed
by crime and violence can recover and thrive. But
according to results from the 2022 National Survey
of Victims’ Views, a nationwide survey of victims
regarding their experiences with the justice system
and public safety policy preferences, more often than
not, these needs go unmet. Survivors who responded

51% 4%
VS.

More than half (51%) of victims
with a record would have wanted but
did not receive compensation from their
state victim compensation program,
while only 4% received compensation

to the 2022 National Survey of Victims’ Views who

20 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

• More than half (53%) would have wanted
but did not receive help understanding and
navigating the civil and criminal courts following
their victimization, while only about 1 in 6 (17%)
received this help
• 1 in 3 (33%) would have wanted but never
received emergency or temporary housing,
while only about 1 in 12 (8%) received it
People with records commonly owe substantial fines,
fees, or restitution associated with their record. But
the overwhelming majority of people with records
who had been victimized did not receive help
from these systems when they themselves were

victimized. According to the 2023 National Survey of
People with Records:

• Nearly 6 in 10 people with a past conviction
(59%) reported that they have struggled with
fines and fees following their arrest or conviction
• Nearly 4 in 10 people with a past conviction
(37%), and more than half of people with a
felony conviction (52%)* said that following their
incarceration or conviction, they had difficulty
getting help after being a victim of crime
• About 1 in 9 people with a past conviction
who were victims of crime (11%) were ever paid
restitution for a crime committed against them

VALERIE, PENNSYLVANIA
I was born a heroin addict and sold by my own mother on the black market. An adult
who molested me and my sisters shot my sister four times when I was nine, then he
hung himself. I was on drugs by age 10 and in the juvenile justice system by 12.
My home was a war zone. I had been raped, stabbed and beaten with cinder blocks
before I was locked up at 18 in the county jail, where I was finally put into a drug
program. Then I was sent to state prison.
I read my bible night and day, started going to every class I could and got my GED. I
left prison at 24 and stayed out for eight years. But when my brother died, I relapsed
and was sent back. I wrote two books while there. When I was released, I had no
support or place to go. Everyone I knew was still on drugs, and my mother, sisters,
and brother had all died.
I was provided housing in a halfway house for 13 months. When I left, I couldn’t find a permanent place to
live due to my record, until a friend co-signed for me. Not everyone has such a person in their lives.
I walked into business after business looking for a job without even knowing how to fill out an online
application or having a phone. Finally, a moving company let me prove myself despite my record. The
barriers to housing and employment, which are vital for people with records to succeed, are almost
insurmountable and demand superhuman endurance and fortitude.
Now I am a minister, work at a shelter, deliver food at night and I volunteer in prisons to help people get
sober and heal.

21 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

MAGGIE, TEXAS
I grew up in a chaotic home. One day in high school, a football player gave me a
ride home and offered to smoke marijuana with me. He raped me in front of my
house. When making the police report, I was told that it was consensual because
I agreed to smoke with him.
Facing my rapist and his friends every day was too much to bear, so I dropped
out of high school and left home at the age of 16. I ended up on the streets and
began a 20-year journey with addiction.
I received a two-year prison sentence with my first felony. After that, my employment opportunities
were limited to fast food. I was lucky if I could end my day with $20 cash.
My last arrest in 2016 was for possession of less than a gram of drugs. Through my battle with
addiction I lost everything, including custody of my three children. I was tired of the revolving door and
I had to get clean, somehow.
I was released from prison and admitted straight to a rehabilitation center. This program gave me the
support I needed to change my life. I had counseling, food and housing for 18 months. Volunteers
taught us how to dress, shop on a budget, financial literacy and resume writing.
My resume was rejected 144 times in three months. But the support of the counselors, volunteers and
other women in the program helped me to keep fighting.
Some of us don’t make it. Every day, I see people fight for housing and employment. You have to have
some sort of safety net when getting out and struggling to overcome these barriers.
They say if they did the crime they should do the time. Well, I have done my time. In fact, I did more
time than most people I got arrested with, who were white. The racial disparities in my sentencing
were very clear.
But when does the time end, if it doesn’t end when you are released and finish probation or parole?
When is our time truly done?

22 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
Advancing safety must include effective strategies to

has lifetime impacts on families, communities, the

hold individuals who commit crimes accountable and

economy, and public safety.

stop cycles of violence, as well as strategies to provide
people with records pathways to recover from the

Despite strong public support for redemption,

physical, emotional, and financial consequences of

countless barriers remain in place that prevent

justice involvement.

second chances — or even prevent crime in the
first place. Given the enormous number of barriers

When people living with past convictions are

to stability people with records face, what we know

ineligible for jobs, housing, loans, and more — long

about the drivers of crime, and the persistent pursuit

after their sentences are completed — attaining

of incarceration-first approaches to public safety, we

stability and reintegration is nearly impossible. This

offer the following policy recommendations:

1

Sunset Policy Framework: enhance record sealing and
reduce economic barriers
Every state should enact sunset policies: a clear and accessible process for sealing criminal records
after a person has served their time and been crime-free for a set period of time. The Sunset Policy
Framework aims to strike a balance between justice, safety, and economic growth by encouraging states
to adjust and expand their current record change systems to ensure fair access for all. The Framework
focuses on judicial efficiency and cost effectiveness by incorporating measures such as automation to
improve the record sealing process.
With an emphasis on personal responsibility, the Framework proposes that individuals who have
completed their sentences and maintained a crime-free period should be considered rehabilitated and
eligible for record sealing. Recognizing the challenges of automating record sealing for certain offenses,
the Sunset Policy Framework recommends alternative strategies, such as a streamlined petition process.
Drawing inspiration from the successes in other states, the Framework seeks to provide practical
solutions for record sealing that maintain public safety.
The Framework suggests that the federal government support states during this transition by offering
incentives and financial assistance to upgrade their data and information systems, thus enabling the
implementation of improved record change systems. This assistance could be provided through a range
of existing grant programs, carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of each state.

23 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

2

Redemption and reentry for all
Everyone familiar with the process of exiting the justice system, from corrections officials to
individuals who have served incarceration terms, agrees that reentry programs are crucial to safe
and effective release.
Despite the clear public safety benefits of reentry, too many people leave the justice system without
those links to employment, safe or stable housing, or other basic life support. Every year, hundreds of
thousands of people return to communities from state and federal prisons.21 When someone is released
from prison, they face over 40,000 laws, policies and practices that severely limit their eligibility to
reintegrate, including prohibitions on employment, housing, and education.22
Not surprisingly, this impacts reentry success. Sixty-eight percent of people released from prison are
arrested for a new crime within three years of release, and 45 percent are re-convicted.23 However, when
people returning to the community from prison can access reentry support and obtain access to meet
basic life needs such as housing and employment, that means reduced risk of recidivism.
Federal law still allows states to prevent people with past convictions from enrolling in food stamp and
cash assistance programs, despite the fact that these programs are often critical to helping people attain
or maintain housing, and prevent homelessness. Lifting this barrier to reentry would improve stability for
people exiting the justice system.24
When people leaving the justice system have a “warm” hand off to programs that offer basic stabilizing
support — from safe places to live to reentry jobs and a supportive community — people succeed and
community safety improves.

3

Reallocate resources to prevent crisis from
becoming crime
Federal policymakers must direct funding to support new safety solutions in states and local jurisdictions
that prioritize prevention, treatment, and recovery services over spending on incarceration.
New dollars can build new, smarter safety approaches, such as emergency mental health crisis response,
community-based and hospital-based violence prevention, trauma recovery for victims and children
exposed to violence, and removing bans on eligibility for aid for people with past convictions.
Federal, state and local policymakers also need to use incentives to reallocate resources to new safety
priorities. Policymakers should build incentives into funding streams for safety, rewarding approaches
that reduce unnecessary incarceration, and expand community-based violence prevention, trauma
recovery and victim services, mental health and addiction treatment, and reentry.

24 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

4

Ensure that people with records can access crime
victim services
Decision-makers must confront the fact that people with records often have the shared experience
of crime victimization. They should not be excluded (formally or informally) from crime victim
support services, including civil legal services to support recovery, trauma recovery services, victim
compensation, and legal protections to prevent job and housing loss while recovering from being the
victim of a crime.
As demonstrated in the 2023 National Survey of People with Records, the majority of people with
records experienced crime victimization before they ever had contact with the justice system — and in
fact, trauma from their crime victimization was often cited as a contributing factor to their arrest
and conviction.
This indicates that the breadth and depth of victim support must be expanded to more effectively
promote safety in all communities — including awareness of the services and ease of access to them.

DATA AND

METHODOLOGY
Alliance for Safety and Justice commissioned

representative, demographically and across political

Voices of Redemption: A National Survey of People

affiliation, of the entire U.S. population.

with Records to fill in gaps in knowledge about who
people with records are, how criminal justice and

While David Binder Research informed people

public safety policies impact them, and their views

that their personal information is kept confidential

on what drives safe communities.

and used for research purposes only, we anticipate
that respondents may have under-reported their

David Binder Research conducted the interviews

victimization and their experiences with arrest,

in English and Spanish in March and April, 2023.

conviction, or incarceration in this survey. The

The research survey was administered both by

overall margin of error for Voices of Redemption:

telephone — landlines and mobile phones — and

A National Survey of People with Records is ±1.5

online. Respondents were contacted through

percent, while the margin of error for the 554

random digit dialing, by phone or text, or recruited

respondents who were arrested is ±4.2 percent, for

from an online survey panel. These findings reflect

the 505 who were arrested and victims of crime it

the opinions of a broad and diverse nation: All ages

is ±4.4 percent, for the 372 who were convicted or

18+, all racial and ethnic groups, and all geographic

incarcerated it is ±5.1 percent. The margin of error

locations are represented.

is larger for subgroups, and small samples of 100
or fewer interviews are indicated (*) throughout.

These efforts were part of a comprehensive
survey methodology that ensured the results are

25 // VOICES OF REDEMPTION: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PEOPLE WITH RECORDS

ENDNOTES
National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction (“NICCC”). (2019). Retrieved from https://niccc.
csgjusticecenter.org/
1

Karamagi, C., Teji, S., & Vishnu Sridharan., V. (2018). Repairing the Road to Redemption in California. Oakland:
Californians for Safety and Justice. Retrieved from https://safeandjust.org/interactivereport/repairing-the-road-toredemption-incalifornia/
2

Vallas, R., Boteach, M., West, R., & Odum, J. (2015). Removing Barriers to Opportunity for Parents With Criminal
Records and Their Children: A Two-Generation Approach (p.1). Washington: Center for American Progress. Retrieved
from https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/09060720/CriminalRecords-report2.pdf
3

Alliance for Safety and Justice (2021). Toward Stability and Safety: Experiences of People with Old Criminal Records.
https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Convictions-Brief.pdf
4

The Brennan Center’s Report explains potential duplication in its estimation of the number of people with a
misdemeanor conviction. It states, “some of the 46.8 million people identified using this model may have also spent
time in prison, or been convicted of a felony, before or after incurring their misdemeanor conviction. This double
counting risk is unavoidable.” Therefore, they use the estimated 45 million instead. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.
org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Convictions-Brief.pdf
5

6
Craigie, T., Grawert, A., Kimble, C., & Stiglitz, J. (2020, September 15). Conviction, imprisonment, and lost earnings:
How involvement with the criminal justice system deepens inequality. Retrieved from Brennan Center for Justice
website: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/conviction-imprisonment-and-lost-earningshow-involvement-criminal https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Convictions-Brief.pdf

7
Shannon, S.K.S., Uggen, C., Schnittker, J., Thompson, M., Wakefield, S., & Massoglia, M. (2017). The growth, scope,
and spatial distribution of people with felony records in the United States, 1948–2010. Demography: 54, 1795–1818.
Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-017-0611-1 https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/
uploads/2021/09/Convictions-Brief.pdf

Analysis of OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Trends in arrest rates by race for All offenses (rates are per 100,000 in age
group). Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/ucr_trend.asp?table_in=2. Released on July 08, 2022. Note:
These data do not account for Latino identity, which means that disparities are underrepresented in these figures, as the
white category includes a higher percentage of people who may identify as Latino.

8

Analysis of OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Trends in arrest rates by race for Drug abuse violations (rates are per
100,000 in age group). Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/ucr_trend.asp?table_in=2. Released on July 08,
2022.
9

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2021). Racial/Ethnic Differences in Substance Use,
Substance Use Disorders, and Substance Use Treatment Utilization among People Aged 12 or Older (2015-2019).

10

Shannon, S.K.S. et. al. (2017). The Growth, Scope, and Spatial Distribution of People with Felony Records in the United
States, 1948-2010. Demography, 54:1795-1818.

11

Craigie, T., Grawert, A., and Kimble, C. (2020). Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement with
the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality. Brennan Center for Justice.
12

Craigie, T., Grawert, A., and Kimble, C. (2020). Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement with
the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality. Brennan Center for Justice.

13

Craigie, T., Grawert, A., and Kimble, C. (2020). Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement with
the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality. Brennan Center for Justice.

14

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Council of State Governments (2018). National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction (“NICCC”).
Retrieved from: https://niccc.csgjusticecenter.org/ https://wesharesafety.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NationalSafety-Gaps-Report-20220721.pdf

15

Karamagi, C, Teji, S, & Vishnu Sridharan, V (2018). Repairing the Road to Redemption in California (p.2). Retrieved
from Californians for Safety and Justice: https://safeandjust.org/interactivereport/repairing-the-road-to-redemption-incalifornia/ https://wesharesafety.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/National-Safety-Gaps-Report-20220721.pdf
16

17
Stelle E. Removing Barriers to Work. (August 15, 2018). Commonwealth Foundation, https://www.
commonwealthfoundation.org/policyblog/detail/removing-barriers-to-work-for-ex-offenders https://wesharesafety.us/
wp-content/uploads/2022/07/National-Safety-Gaps-Report-20220721.pdf

National Reentry Resource Center (2023). National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction. Retrieved
from: https://niccc.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/consequences

18

19
Center for Community Alternatives (2020). The Use of Criminal History Records in College Admissions: Reconsidered.
Retrieved from: https://communityalternatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/use-of-criminal-history-recordsreconsidered.pdf

This includes only people who reported that they have not themselves completed a process to remove or clear a
conviction from their record. Over the last several years, several states have adopted policies that allow some people to
have their records automatically cleared. These policies are largely new, but it’s possible that some small number of this
group of respondents may have had a record automatically sealed or expunged.

20

21
In the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, an average of 534,000 people returned home from prison each year. Using an
average across three years accounts for sharp declines in admissions in 2020 due to Covid which likely contributed
temporarily to substantial declines in releases in 2021, but admissions began to rise again in 2021. See Carson, A (2020).
Prisoners in 2019. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/
pub/pdf/p19.pdf; Carson, A. (2021). Prisoners in 2021 – Statistical Tables. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics. https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/p21st.pdf

National Reentry Resource Center (2023). National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction. Retrieved
from: https://niccc.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/consequences https://wesharesafety.us/wp-content/
uploads/2022/07/National-Safety-Gaps-Report-20220721.pdf
22

Alper, M, Durose, ME, & Markman, J (2018). 2018 Update on prisoner recidivism: A 9-year follow-up period (20052014). Retrieved from the U.S. Justice Department, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, https://
www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/18upr9yfup0514. pdf and Durose, M. R., Cooper, A. D., & Snyder, H. N. (2014). Recidivism
of prisoners released in 30 states in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010 (Vol. 28). Washington, DC: US Department of
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, https://bjs.ojp.gov/ content/pub/pdf/rprts05p0510.pdf.
https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Alliance-for-Safety-and-Justice-Scaling-SafetyReport-July-2022.pdf
23

A 2017 paper from Harvard University’s Olin Center for Law, Economics and Business found that people sentenced to
prison for crimes who are released with full access to public benefits are 10 percent less likely to return to prison within
a year. Yang, C. S. Does Public Assistance Reduce Recidivism? Retrieved from American Economic Review: Papers &
Proceedings 2017: http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/Yang_920.pdf https://wesharesafety.
us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/National-Safety-Gaps-Report-20220721.pdf

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ALLIANCE FOR
SAFETY AND JUSTICE ·