Impact campaign

The film is one part of a broader campaign to promote the use of the pardon in Pennsylvania and serve as a model for other states.

Read our 90 day Report from our Impact Campaign

Why it matters:

Pennsylvania has long been among the most heavily incarcerated and heavily supervised states in the country. When a sentence is fully completed, the conviction remains. Criminal records are available 24/7/365 over the internet and used every day, often illegally, to deny jobs, promotions, loans, housing, admission to education or trades, even volunteer activities. The only way to remove a conviction from the record is by a pardon from the Governor, and the only way to get to the Governor is through the Board of Pardons. Pennsylvania has been on the cutting edge of pardon reform since 2019.

Our goals:

Double the number of pardon applications (from 1,940 in 2022 to 4,000 in 2024)

Train 1,000 new Pardon Coaches to help people complete the pardon application

Cut in half the time from application to pardon (from 4 to 2 years), with at least 25% of all pardon applications receiving hearings within one year

Double the number of counties having volunteer Pardon Projects (from 15 to 30)

Pass the following legislation:

1. Automatic expungement of the record of any pardoned crime.

2. Protection for employers that hire people with criminal records.

3. Prohibiting the use of a conviction to deny a state-awarded occupational license if the crime does not directly relate to the job, did not involve violence and the sentence was completed more than seven years ago.

Words on the film:

“We need more pardons, faster, as a no-cost economic development policy. This film eloquently puts a human face to the data. You can’t watch it without asking at the end, ‘How can I help?’”

~ Jeff Hornstein, Executive Director, Economy League

“Everyone agrees that the best government programs are those that help our neighbors do their best – for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our legislature continues to take meaningful – and bipartisan - action to reform our justice system, and pardons are a key part of that. Put simply, pardons release potential, and when people thrive, communities thrive, and everyone benefits.”

~ Hon. Joanna McClinton, Speaker, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

”As this film so clearly shows, pardons are not an issue for lawyers but an opportunity for communities to come together, neighbors helping neighbors, forgiving the past and forging a better future for all.”

~ Sharon R. López, President (2017-2018), Pennsylvania Bar Association

“In our county, it is the judge who decides what the punishment for a crime should be. Once the corrections system has done its job and the offender has done their time and paid their fine, they should be free to contribute the most they can for their families and their communities. This film speaks to the power and potential of our system of justice, and all should hear its message.”

~ Hon. Ronald J. Castille, Chief Justice, PA Supreme Court (Ret.)