Press information

The Expungement Clearinghouse.org is working hard to expand operations with the goal to vastly improve how the background screening industry is removing expunged records from its databases. People that have their criminal record sealed, expunged, or otherwise made non-public by the court, have really only won half the battle. While they have done everything possible to clean up their government record, old information could still be held and distributed by private background check providers. Taking proactive measures to notify these companies can significantly reduce the time it would normally take to get the records removed.

The Expungement Clearinghouse expedites the updating of information provided to many commercial background screening providers in the U.S. by securely sharing data about expunged criminal records with participating member companies. The Clearinghouse provides a faster and more coordinated approach for consumers, their attorneys, courts and other sources to efficiently disseminate information about criminal records that have been cleared or updated by the courts to the commercial background screening industry.

The Expungement Clearinghouse has partnered with The Foundation for Continuing Justice to help those who have had their criminal record cleared by the courts to efficiently disseminate this information to the commercial background screening industry. This partnership will help to ensure that job seekers realize the full benefits afforded to them under the legal process of expungement, leading to faster and more efficient background checks, and helping qualified job applicants to more quickly secure meaningful employment. The Foundation for Continuing Justice (FFCJ) is a privately funded, non-profit law firm dedicated to providing those who have obtained valid expungement orders for past criminal records the opportunity to reenter and reintegrate into society as productive individuals. The Foundation for Continuing Justice offers several projects dedicated to helping those who have had their criminal record sealed, expunged, set aside or otherwise cleared by the courts to reintegrate into society. All of the projects are provided free of cost to those who utilize them.

Over time it is expected that more and more consumers will find their way to the Foundation, reducing the number of expungement requests directed at database companies.

The Clearinghouse will promote this new removal process to database companies. Broader participation will deepen the benefits for each member. The Clearinghouse will also ask government agencies to provide bulk files of expungements. In cases where agencies may be unwilling to provide those kinds of files to database companies, they have expressed willingness to do so for an industry initiative.