Meeting of Jan 29, 2026 

 At this important meeting of the statewide Pardon Project Leadership, you came away appreciating how important it is for people and associations like ours - and nonprofits in general - to be advocates for their causes, where the lines are for "lobbying," and what those lines mean. That was thanks to our speaker, Don Kramer. In just 18 minutes, he gave us not just knowledge but the comfort we need as we head into probably the most consequential year for pardons that there will be for a very long time to come. 

This training was developed to answer the questions that Senator Kim's staff actually had, including:

•      what a pardon is and how it's different from expungements and Clean Slate

•      what all the words in a rap sheet mean and how to read them (a handout from the training is attached)

•      how rap sheets are so easily found by HR directors, landlords, and loan officers

•      how rap sheets and convictions hurt people

•      how simple the pardon process is, and why the quality of the application - the first step - matters so much

•      the questions that the members of the Board of Pardons want answered (including video from a real hearing), and

•      how all of this background information is exactly what you need to know to help someone present the best case they can for a pardon. 

Meeting of Dec 11, 2025 

 >> Dr. David DeMatteo, our nominee for the medical expert position on the BOP, spoke with us (starting at 2:13). Confirming: that position is now vacant and no one has yet been nominated or appointed to it. 

     >> Yusuf Dahl, speaking with us about the importance of HB 1492 (starting at 12:15) (his short powerpoint is attached). Please listen to this and, when you hear about the damage being done by "the Thurmond Amendment", you'll appreciate why you should be calling your State Rep and urging them to vote in favor of the Bill. 

     >> Andrea Lindsay from PLSE, sharing key BOP data for the years of the Shapiro Administration (starting at 29:10) (see, also, the attached Statistics, all taken from the BOP's statistics page)

     >> Karen Flynn, reporting on the Recommendations of our Expediting Pardons Task Force, which we then discussed and approved (starting at 46:58)

A group, diverse in their backgrounds, perspectives and geography, from around PA gathered to take the lead on preparing a response to the Lt. Gov's invitation to submit recommendations to him on how the BOP might change its current operations to cut back on the steadily increasing backlog.

Meeting of Oct 30, 2025 

The Lt. Governor Austin Davis requested our input on how to speed up the pardon process so that more applicants get their hearings far faster than they do now. The wait is now over 8 years! 

Rasa Legal

Rasa’s eligibility tool is currently live in PA. Rasa’s platform is available state-wide, is mobile-friendly, and can give a person instant legal information about their criminal record and whether it might be eligible for expungement under state law.  Since they launched in late 2022, Rasa has helped over 20,000 people across Utah and Arizona determine their eligibility for record clearance.  In addition to providing record clearance services, Rasa’s platform connects users to education, scholarships, technical training programs, health insurance, and fair chance hiring opportunities.     

Low-Bono Legal Services. Individuals who have records that are eligible for record clearance can connect for free with Rasa’s intake and onboarding team to learn more about Rasa’s low-bono legal services.  If a person chooses to hire Rasa to help them, Rasa provides flat rate services for $250 per case, with the option of interest-free payment plans that allow a person to pay over 4-6 months.  Rasa also works in partnership with several community-based non-profit organizations to apply for and implement grant programs that provide record-clearance services free of charge.