News & Commentary

During a packed public hearing, Smart Justice leader Ciara Rosati testified in support of S.B. 403, a bill introduced by the Judiciary Committee that would create a strong Clean Slate law in Connecticut.

Fundamentally, Clean Slate is about providing a light at the end of the tunnel for people who are dealing with the collateral consequences of a record – inability to find housing, employment, education, or even insurance or financial products, based solely on a scarlet letter from their past.

Five Smart Justice leaders and organizers spoke truth to power about the need for Connecticut to pass a bill to prevent discrimination against people solely based on their records of arrest or conviction.

The ACLU will be watching closely to make sure the government's response is ​scientifically justified and no more intrusive on civil liberties than absolutely necessary.

The federal court’s ruling was good news for any state hoping to protect residents with net neutrality laws.

Backed by signs with statistics from Smart Justice's recent poll of Connecticut voters' views about Clean Slate, Smart Justice leaders Tracie Bernardi, Marquita Reale, Sean Sellars, and Terri Ricks shared their perspectives on why the opportunity for a fresh start should extend to everyone. 

More than eight in ten Connecticut voters agree, and it is 100 percent true, that a person’s record of arrest or conviction alone does not tell you whether they will be good employees or tenants.

The four finalists for Connecticut’s Chief State’s Attorney answered Smart Justice’s questions about their policy positions. Here is what they said about police accountability.

Connecticut’s next Chief State’s Attorney could be one of these people. Here’s how they responded to Smart Justice questions about their views on racial justice and decarceration.