session was the need to assist black men and women to address their backgrounds in the criminal justice system that make it difficult for them to gain access to housing, employment or education. Stigmatized by criminal records that marginalize their participation in mainstream society, such individuals are at great risk of repeating the behaviors that led to their arrest, conviction, incarceration and/or probation.

A signature project in the Bay Area that summit organizers regard as worthy of implementation in Richmond is the Alameda County Clean Slate program. Under the program, ex-offenders use existing California state law to clear their criminal records to show prior convictions as “dismissed.”

Clean Slate, thus, has the effect of granting people a second (or third) chance to clear up criminal and civil matters; reinstate their driver’s license after meeting certain criteria; and obtain a tax paying job, instead of “alternative methods of income.”

The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), a criminal justice advocacy organization, has been providing leadership to successfully reintegrate ex-offenders into society. The Center provides training clinics to individuals and community groups about criminal records remedies, and performs the legal work to have criminal convictions dismissed.

While individuals whose crimes resulted in state or federal prison sentences are not eligible for dismissals, those who have fulfilled the terms of their probation and not committed additional offenses, can petition the court. Upon completion the remedy process, ex-offenders can legally say “no” to employers, landlords or insurance companies who ask about criminal backgrounds.

EBCLC works in collaboration with the Alameda County Superior Court, and the Alameda County District Attorney to ensure that bimonthly court dates run smoothly and efficiently. Between April 2005 and September 2005, the court processed 1800 petitions, and 336 people – having 549 Alameda County convictions – received dismissals. Special calendars in multiple courts in July drastically increased the numbers of Alameda County criminal records remedies petitions granted.

The success of the program over the past six months has motivated the Alameda County District Attorney to advocate the adoption of these court protocols statewide. Summit organizers believe that the Clean Slate program would be essential to helping Richmond’s ex-offenders overcome the cycle of poverty and incarceration, and reintegrate into mainstream society.