Missouri Foundation for Health Awards $700,000 to UMKC School of Law to Improve Expungement Process & Support Second Chances
The Clear My Record expungement team at the UMKC School of Law understands the obstacles facing expungement seekers and have undertaken a major program to improve the expungement process. Recently, the team received a $700,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to support their efforts.
The Clear My Record project began in 2017, when attorneys, Code for KC volunteers, law professors and students gathered to understand the extent and scope of the problem. Dean Emerita and Expungement Clinic Director Ellen Suni recognized that many people who need lawyers to assist with expungement are unable to afford them. That insight was confirmed when initial outreach by the program resulted in almost 900 requests for assistance.
For many in Missouri with criminal records, their convictions have become “the punishment that never ends.” Despite having fully paid their debt to society, they find that the impact of their record lingers, blocking educational, employment, and housing opportunities. The persistence of criminal records also takes a heavy toll on an individual’s health.
Individuals may request the sealing of criminal records under Missouri’s expungement law, but the process is complex and expensive. As a result, only 125 individuals were able to expunge their criminal records in 2019, despite the fact that an estimated 1.3-1.8 million Missourians possess criminal records. According to a recent study of a similar jurisdiction, the expungement process is so complex that only 6.5% of people eligible for record clearance actually filed petitions. The benefit of expungement is profound. Once expungement is granted, an individual may truthfully answer “no” to questions seeking information about the existence of prior eligible convictions, including housing and employment applications.
MFH’s three-year grant will support the hiring of a facilitator to convene stakeholders, including impacted individuals, attorneys, and state agencies, to develop a comprehensive and efficient expungement process for all eligible Missourians. Principal Investigator Staci Pratt observed, “MFH’s investment demonstrates faith in our ability to ultimately change the scope, availability and reach of the expungement process, in order to improve opportunities for employment and advancement.”
The project is another way UMKC carries out its mission as a community connected and justice driven school of law.