The Pathway to Prosperity: How Clean - Table of Contents - Slate Legislation Enhances Public

The rapid expansion of the criminal justice system and the politicization of crime began with the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which significantly expanded the number and type of substances that were under governmental control.9 The law provided a uniform framework for regulation and penalties by assigning substances to five schedules allegedly based on medical util. [...] The sweeping policy changes and the shift toward increasingly punitive practices contributed to soaring prison populations over the next 14 years, Exponential increases in the the ramifications of which are still being felt today.26 number of Americans with an arrest or conviction were not the cause of the “tough-on- The legislative context and changes in professional practice are critical to crim. [...] childhood experience of having a parent with a criminal record, especially one that involves incarceration and indicates substance abuse, combined with the lack of access to welfare resources and familial stability, predisposes the next generation to poor health and school outcomes and increased the likelihood of substance use, arrest and violence.78 In a study assessing the role of housing, food. [...] Some states require a court hearing awareness of the opportunity; the cost and complexity of the process; and the to consider the petition for expungement; others do not.91 time needed to complete the petition process. [...] Unfortunately, fewer than 10 percent of eligible people pursue the petition process for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, a lack of awareness of the opportunity; the cost and complexity of the process; and the time needed to complete the petition process.92 In order to bridge the gap between eligibility and expungement, some states have joined a national movement, known as the C.