What’s the difference between Clean Slate Utah and Rasa?
It can be easy to get our organizations mixed up, but there are some important differences between our organizations. Whichever organization best meets your needs, we are both here for you and dedicated to helping Utahns clear their criminal records and access new opportunities.
About Clean Slate Utah
- Clean Slate Utah is an advocacy and public education organization focused on raising awareness of Utah’s Clean Slate law and providing support to low-income individuals who are going through the record clearing process themselves.
- Their non-profit organization can use Rasa’s tool to help people determine if they are eligible for expungement and help cover government fees for individuals who cannot afford to pay them.
- Clean Slate Utah is NOT a lawyer and does not provide legal advice or services. Instead, it puts on community workshops, events, and provides access to resources for self-represented individuals.
About Rasa
- Rasa is a public benefit, legal tech company that specializes in providing low-cost legal services to individuals with criminal records.
- Rasa’s team includes lawyers and engineers who have built software to streamline many of the aspects of the expungement process.
- When you hire Rasa to represent you, the Rasa legal team handles your expungement from start to finish in the same way a traditional lawyer would, but for a much lower price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I go to Clean Slate Utah and get my record cleared for free?
Clean Slate Utah can help a person determine whether they qualify for automatic clearance under Utah’s Clean Slate law, and connect individuals to resources that can help them clear their record on their own. However, Clean Slate Utah is not a law firm. They do not have lawyers on staff, and do not provide legal advice or have the ability to clear a person’s record for them.
Doesn’t the Clean Slate law clear my record automatically?
After a 5-7 year waiting period, Utah’s Clean Slate law provides automatic record clearance to individuals with qualifying misdemeanor offenses. When a person has an offense that qualifies for automatic clearance under Utah’s Clean Slate law, they do not need to hire a lawyer to represent them, get on a list, or take any steps in order for their record to be cleared.
Utah’s Clean Slate law went into effect on February 10, 2022 and is being implemented on a rolling basis. While the government has started automatically clearing records, it is a slow process. Over 450,000 Utahns have at least one case that qualifies for automatic clearance. To date, the government has cleared approximately 50,000 records so far.
In addition, Utah’s Clean Slate law applies only to certain types of misdemeanors (covers most misdemeanor B and C offenses, and Class A misdemeanor drug possession). Individuals with non-qualifying misdemeanor records or felony records may be eligible for record clearance, but will need to go through the petition-based, or court-based expungement process to obtain relief.
Does Rasa’s expungement eligibility tool replace BCI?
No. Under state law, the Bureau of Criminal Identification requires a $65 application fee to start the expungement process and certify that you are eligible for expungement.
Rasa’s expungement eligibility application is a web-based screening tool that can tell an individual whether their record is likely eligible for record clearance and it is worth it to apply to BCI, wait three months for an answer, and pay the $65 application fee.
Clean Slate Utah can cover the cost of the application fee for those that have an income less than 300% of the federal poverty level.
Still have questions? Connect with us!
Email Clean Slate Utah [email protected] or Rasa [email protected].
For reference: Clean Slate Utah vs Rasa Overview