New laws, funds helping Utahns clear criminal records
Mar 29, 2022, 7:50 PM | Updated: Jun 13, 2022, 10:41 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Studies show one in every four Utahns has a criminal record.
That’s where a Utah organization and new public benefit company step in. Clean Slate Utah and Rasa are teaming up to ensure a criminal record is not a dead-end street, but rather, a pathway to a clean slate.
Ciara Gregovich, Rasa’s director of outreach for the expungement team, says everyone deserves a second chance.
“We all make mistakes in our lives,” she said.
Rasa is a new Utah-based public benefit company with a mission to make it easier and more affordable for people to clear their records in the state.
“Once you are able to help clean that record, I mean, so many doors open for so many people,” Gregovich said.
Tonight at 6: Studies show 1 in every 4 Utahns have a criminal record.
A Utah organization and company don’t see that as a dead end street.
I’ll tell you why on @KSL5TV!
— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) March 29, 2022
Destiny Garcia is on the other side of those opened doors, having walked through herself.
“I’m a woman in long-term recovery, and during that portion of my life, I racked up lots of criminal charges,” Garcia said.
Garcia now serves on the Clean Slate Utah board, an organization that aims to help people determine if they’re eligible for clearance under Utah law.
Together, Clean Slate Utah and Rasa are teaming up to host two free webinars a month.
The webinars cover processes, including the types of records that are eligible for expungement under Utah law and the difference between petition based and automatic expungement.
“Once you have that slate wiped clean, you feel amazing,” Garcia said.
Noella Sudbury serves as the executive director of Clean Slate Utah and CEO of Rasa. She says there is great benefit that comes with wiping a slate clean.
“Just one year after record clearance, wages go up by over 20%. You’re more likely to get a job interview,” Sudbury said.
In the end, she says being in a spot to wipe a slate clean helps us all.
“We all benefit when we help someone move forward,” she said.
You can learn more about Rasa here.
