For more than half a million people in Massachusetts, a proposed bill that would automatically seal certain criminal records will improve their quality of life, public health officials say.

“Years of research shows us that having a safe and secure home and access to a job equals better health outcomes,” said Andrea Freeman, policy director at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.

Her organization is one of the co-leaders of Clean Slate Massachusetts, a chapter of a national organization working to change state laws around criminal records. A dozen states across the country already have passed similar bills.

Rising third-years with UMass Medical School’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) program, held an advocacy day at the State House pushing for policies that will benefit their patients in western Massachusetts.

The PURCH program is a specialized track and students complete their clinical experience at Baystate Medical Center, where they learn to address socioeconomic community issues alongside their patient’s health. For one Southwick native, this program is a bridge to her dream job serving her western Massachusetts community.

This year, students are pushing for Clean Slate legislation, which would automatically seal certain criminal records after a designated period of time has passed.

In Massachusetts, too many people with arrest and conviction records continue to face barriers to employment, housing, education, and more, long after they have paid their debt to society. Despite their efforts to turn their lives around, the stigma of a past record often leaves them locked out of opportunities that could help them build a better future for themselves and their families and improve their communities. This is where Clean Slate legislation comes in—a common sense policy that offers individuals a second chance by automating the sealing of records for people who meet the requirements.

Boston Orange Zhou Juzi Boston Comprehensive Report: The Clean Slate Massachusetts Alliance ( CSMA ) gathered about 150 people online on January 9 to share their views and opinions on the case of Massachusetts Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representative Mary Keefe is proposing legislation, hoping that Massachusetts will pass the automatic sealing of criminal records, and hopes for support from all walks of life.

BOSTON (WWLP) – A fresh start for formerly incarcerated people can mean more than just getting a job or renting an apartment–it can also mean having your record automatically sealed.

State House News: A coalition of criminal justice advocates and lawmakers launched a campaign Thursday promoting soon-to-be-filed criminal record sealing reform legislation that's failed to clear the Judiciary Committee for years.