Hundreds of thousands have served their time. Their federal records still hold them back.

We’re working to change that.

We’re a national coalition of legal scholars, policy experts, advocates, and people with lived experience working to improve understanding of federal pardons, clemency, and record relief, and to create a clear, court-managed expungement process.

Save the Date: The Inaugural Federal Expungement Conference

Saturday, March 20, 2027 · Online, 9 AM ET / 6 AM PT. National criminal law scholars, advocates, and reform organizations examine federal pardons, clemency, and expungement, and the case for meaningful second chances.

Learn more →

The coalition

Events

More events coming soon.

Past event White Collar Conference 2026 October 10, 2026 · Online (Zoom)

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About the initiative

The Federal Expungement Initiative brings together legal scholars, policy experts, advocates, and people with lived experience. We explain how presidential pardons, commutations, record sealing, and expungement differ, how they can complement one another, and where the federal system still leaves people without a path forward. Our central policy goal is a clear, court-managed process that lets people petition a federal court to expunge a criminal record.

Read our position or get involved.

Stories

Babz Rawls Ivy, Federal Expungement Initiative

Meet Babz Rawls Ivy

Babz Rawls Ivy served a 30-day federal sentence in 2007 and has served New Haven since. Her conviction still limits her path to a legal career.