Clean Slate Utah

We're grateful to be collaborating on the Utah Expungement Summit today with our partners at SEG Foundation, the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, and Rasa Legal. This will be a great first-step for those looking to clear their eligible records, access community resources, and open the door to new opportunities. https://lnkd.in/gbeAsp5G

We have been busy doing strategic planning, and are gearing up to soar in 2025! 🦅✨ Thanks to Pathway Group for facilitating our planning process, and everyone that has supported our work this year. There is still so much more to do to help people access second chances, but we are here for it.

This week, the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission celebrated the 76th anniversary of Human Rights Day. The celebration included an awards ceremony honoring seven incredible local leaders and organizations making a difference in our community. We’re beyond proud to share that Destiny Garcia, Executive Director of Clean Slate Utah, was recognized as an Emerging Leader for Human Rights! 🏆 “This is such an incredible honor. This award means a lot to me, not just because of what it represents for me personally in my own journey, but because it highlights the importance of believing in people’s potential — so they can grow, change, and thrive,” Destiny shared. ✨ Huge congratulations to Destiny and all the amazing award winners! Thank you for your dedication to advancing human rights and creating positive change in our community. #HumanRightsDay #EmergingLeader #SLC

Yesterday we attended an incredible symposium at the Utah State Prison, focused on reentry efforts and paving the way for second chances. 🙌 With 96% of incarcerated individuals eventually returning to the community, supporting their success is crucial. The event highlighted new job training and apprenticeship programs to prepare individuals for life after prison. One of the highlights was hearing Ricky Zazueta share his powerful journey—from learning culinary skills while incarcerated to becoming a chef and Director of Health & Nutrition at Renaissance Ranch. His story proves what’s possible with support, opportunity, and determination. 👨🍳✨ A huge thank you to Brian Redd and the Utah Department of Corrections for inviting us and including several people with lived experience in the conversation. 📸 Photo: Our friends from Red Barn Farms - Nonprofit , The Other Side Academy, Destiny Garcia, and Ricky Zazueta

A reminder that change doesn’t happen on its own, and it’s worth fighting for.✨ #OTD in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott — bringing attention to the injustice of segregation. “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was 42. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Nearly a year later, the boycott eventually led to the U.S. Supreme Court determining Alabama’s segregated bus laws to be unconstitutional.

Feeling grateful for our community, and the chance to provide outreach at Larry H. Miller’s annual Season of Service event this week. Attendees were served a Thanksgiving meal and dozens of local organizations were onsite to provide a variety of resources, from warm clothes to dental checkups. We love this show of love and support for our neighbors in need. Let’s keep it going.💜 #seasonofservice

Last week, the PROG Foundation proudly hosted our inaugural GRIT Awards—celebrating Giving, Respecting, Involving, and Transforming within our community! 🌟 We honored 10 outstanding individuals who are making a profound impact, including our incredible GRIT Award Winner, Destiny Garcia from Clean Slate Utah, for her relentless dedication to second chances and community transformation. 🏆👏 Thank you to everyone who joined us in recognizing these community champions. Together, we are making a lasting difference within the Utah community. 💙 #GRITAwards #CommunityHeroes #CleanSlateUtah #PROGFoundation #CelebratingChange

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 We’ve reached over 1,000 expungements this year through our Fresh Start program — 1,241 to be exact! 🚀 A HUGE congrats to everyone who has successfully cleared their records! 👏 For many Utahns who don’t qualify for automatic clearance, petition-based expungement through the courts may be an option. It can feel daunting to tackle alone, but that's where our Fresh Start program can help! We're here to offer free expungement and pardon assistance for those who can’t afford a lawyer or choose to self-navigate the process. Want to know more about eligibility for petition-based expungement? Check out https://lnkd.in/gqGMGX6Y. #cleanslatefreshstart #expungementsuccess #newbeginnings #secondchances

We are so proud to share that our Executive Director, Destiny Garcia was honored with the inaugural GRIT Award from the PROG Foundation! 🏆 The GRIT Award celebrates individuals who demonstrate a deep commitment to giving back, respecting differences, involving diverse voices, and driving transformative change through community engagement initiatives. While Destiny couldn’t be there in person, she wanted to share her gratitude: “I am truly humbled to receive this award and the generous support from the PROG Foundation. And a special thank you to Holly Yocom for graciously accepting the award on my behalf. I was lucky to receive a second chance after a difficult time in my life—something that, unfortunately, many people don’t get. That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to living in recovery loudly and advocating for second chances and the life-changing benefits of record clearance. People do make mistakes, but we can also make really great change if given the opportunity. Thank you to the PROG Foundation for supporting me and this important work, and to all the incredible nominees who are doing amazing things to make a lasting, positive impact in our community. Your dedication is truly inspiring!"✨ #GRITaward #community

✨Access to justice is access for Veterans✨ While there has been significant progress in increasing employment for Veterans, it's time to shine a light on a crucial gap—Veterans with a criminal background. These individuals possess unique skills and resilience that can greatly benefit the workforce. The Veterans Justice Commission recently shared recommendations to increase successful reentry and employment success for justice-impacted Veterans. 🔍 Dive into their report, "From Confinement to Community: Supporting Successful Veteran Reentry and Employment": https://lnkd.in/gvXJr6u4 Let's work together to ensure all Veterans get the second chance they deserve. #SecondChances #VeteransDay