OAKLAND, Calif. — New data released this week by the California Department of Justice shows that shared public safety investments are contributing to lower crime rates while giving millions of Californians with old criminal records a second chance through automatic record clearance.
Since 2019, homicides are down 20%, robberies are down 31%, property crime is down 24%, and auto theft is down 19% statewide. Over that same period, AB 1076 (2019) and SB 731 (2022) — which together make most conviction and arrest records in California eligible for automatic relief — have driven the clearance of hundreds of thousands of old records each year, with nearly 900,000 arrest and conviction records cleared in 2025 alone, for a total of 17,652,909 since 2019.
California’s historic crime lows are due in large part to shared safety investments in community-based violence prevention, harm reduction and intervention programs. In 2025, the state recorded some of its lowest homicide rates since statewide record-keeping began in 1966.
“Safety, or feeling safe, is best achieved through shared safety investments and examining the drivers of crime through a public health lens,” said Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice. “The historic lows in crime are welcome news and proof that when public safety strategies are shared across government agencies, law enforcement, community organizations, and crime survivors, every California resident benefits.”
The latest DOJ data shows that in 2025, more than 752,000 old arrest records and more than 138,000 conviction records were automatically cleared statewide, relief that helps people access jobs, housing and education — all critical factors in a person’s stability and ability to contribute to civic life. To qualify for automatic conviction relief, a person must fully complete a sentence and remain free of any further contact with the justice system for a set period under the law.
“As a father of four, I experienced firsthand how an old record can limit opportunities, not just for you, but for your family,” said Terrance Stewart, a Time Done leader who helped pass SB 731. “My record made it harder to access stable housing and affected decisions about where my children could live, learn, and grow. Clearing my record is more than just paperwork. It’s a reminder that change is possible, that second chances matter, and that no one should be defined forever by the worst mistake they’ve ever made.”
In California alone, 8 million people — one in five state residents — are living with a past conviction or arrest record. As a result, they face nearly 5,000 legal restrictions, 73% of which are permanent, many tied directly to employment.
The stakes extend well beyond California. Nationally, roughly 70 million Americans carry an old criminal conviction or record that can permanently block them from jobs, housing, education and other paths to economic security and family stability, even when they were never incarcerated and have been crime-free for years or decades. These records subject people to nearly 50,000 legal restrictions nationwide, restrictions that too often push people to the margins of society long after their sentences are complete.
Record clearance laws deliver a real economic dividend for California, helping recover a share of the estimated $20 billion in annual GDP the s
Tags: California Department of Justice, Crime Rates, Record Clearance, Criminal Justice Reform, Public Safety, SB 731
