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Organizations Join Forces To Push For Criminal Justice Reform In PA

By Cherri Gregg

PHILADEPHIA (CBS) -- More than a half dozen groups from both sides of the aisle have formed a national group to push for criminal justice reform. This effort comes just days after President Obama called on Congress to take action.

The Justice Action Network includes organizations like the ACLU and the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Their goal is to pass laws in key states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

"It is a perfect storm in this country for criminal justice reform," says Holly Harris, JAN executive director.

According to JAN three million Pennsylvanians have a criminal record and with nine out of ten employers running background checks, these records become major roadblocks to employment.

JAN's first goal in Pennsylvania is expungement legislation that would allow more citizens to clear non-violent offenses.

Currently, the Commonwealth only allows expungement of arrest records and summary offenses. To remove non-violent misdemeanors the applicant must be 70 years old with no arrests in the past ten years or dead for three years.

"This isn't just the right thing to do, it makes financial sense," says State Rep. Jordan Harris (D). He co-sponsored HB 1425, which would allow "limited access" type expungement of 2nd and 3rd degree misdemeanors after 10 years.

"It would mean these charges that they were convicted of would not show up when somebody would run their record for say, a job," he says, "but they would still be available to law enforcement."

The bill has bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate and could pass this session.

"We're looking forward to having this legislation passed," says Senator Stewart Greenleaf (R), "I think we are close."

Harris says he hopes the next step will be a "ban the box" resolution for state jobs. JAN plans to push clean slate legislation that would automatically expunge low level crimes after a period of time. For more information go to justiceactionnetwork.org.

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