It’s been five years since I was sentenced in front of a judge. My journey in, out and through the criminal justice system is my own, but the aftermath is an all too familiar story for Coloradans with past records. Even though it’s been many years since my last sentence, my records continue to make it seem as if my convictions happened yesterday. On paper, “justice was served.” In practice, hundreds of thousands of Coloradans with past records continue to face severe barriers to economic freedom, independence and the ability to support themselves and their families. It’s a lifelong sentence to poverty, which unfortunately can lead to instability, poor mental health, homelessness and more crimes. This is a cycle Colorado legislators have the power to help break.

In 2022, a bipartisan coalition of businesses, health organizations, people with lived experience in the justice system and advocates from diverse organizations came together to break this cycle with the passage of the Colorado Clean Slate Act (SB22-099). The Colorado Clean Slate Act was passed with nearly unanimous support and is slated to go into effect in July of this year. Now, the legislature has an opportunity to invest in people with past records and support HB24-1133 – another bipartisan bill to help ensure SB22-099 has the most successful clean slate implementation in the nation.

Stay up to speed: Sign up for daily opinion in your inbox Monday-Friday

The Clean Slate Act automated the record-sealing process, so more people could receive the relief record-sealing provides. This means hundreds of thousands of Coloradans will have their past, nonviolent, and eligible records automatically sealed. Too many people are denied the freedom to work, find a safe place to call home and pay their own way. Removing these barriers will help grow our talented workforce and make our communities safer.

It’s estimated one in three working-age Coloradans have a record. If one in three sounds high to you, it’s easier to get a record than you might think. Anytime someone is arrested or appears in court, a record goes on that individual’s background. Even for arrests that don’t lead to charges, cases where people are not found to be guilty, and convictions that occurred decades ago. Research has proven the longer someone goes without being convicted of another crime, they are no more likely to recidivate than anyone else. Passing HB24-1133 will help give these people a true second chance.

I’m fortunate that I now have the opportunity to use my lived experience to help others through the reentry process as a recovery coach and management coordinator at Ananeo. My story is the exception, however. Having experienced the many barriers to meaningful reentry myself, I know what resources are available to support people and what barriers continue to hold people back.

Helping people secure meaningful employment that allows them to be economically stable is one of the hardest parts of my job. The reality is many people with past records, under the current practices of the state of Colorado, will never find meaningful employment. Having past records, regardless of how old or minor they might be, means you don’t make it through background checks, makes it harder to acquire an occupational license from the state and prevents people from seeking higher education opportunities. I’m not saying people don’t make mistakes, because we do. However, the way Colorado holds talented, dedicated and worthy people back is also a mistake – a mistake HB24-1133 will help correct.

April is Second Chance Month. A second chance, to me, means the chance to support ourselves and our families and build a better future. This Second Chance Month, I hope the Colorado Legislature invests in the Colorado Clean Slate Act and supports HB24-1133. Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans deserve an unrestricted shot at health and happiness.

Rachel Vickers is a graduate of the Clean Slate Leadership Academy and a management coordinator and a recovery coach at Ananeo.