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Philadelphia Eagles Players Lobby for Clean Slate Act to Seal Criminal Records

HeadlineOct 25, 2017

And football players on the Philadelphia Eagles traveled to Pennsylvania’s Capitol to lobby for criminal justice reform Tuesday. The three players—Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long and Torrey Smith—lobbied for the passage of the Clean Slate Act, which would seal criminal records for nonviolent misdemeanors after 10 years, making it easier for people to get jobs and housing. Malcolm Jenkins’s brother was convicted of marijuana possession while still a teenager—a conviction that continues to make it difficult for him to find jobs. Torrey Smith’s mother also had trouble finding well-paying jobs after she was convicted of a felony stemming from her abusive relationship with her ex-husband. She was later pardoned by then-Virginia Governor Mark Warner.

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