“While the BCA planned to complete testing and provide the records to the courts for its 60-day review by mid-March, it is now evident that it will take more time to ensure that additional programming and exhaustive testing is completed due to the extremely complex requirements and variables of the law.”

-BCA

Unfortunately, the BCA and the courts have encountered a number of challenges during the testing process: 

Each test is run against 16.6 million records and 16,827 statutes dating back to 1927. Due to the size and complexity of the data, each test run requires three weeks to finish, in part because the system must remain available to the public during testing.
With each test, “bugs” are identified, which is the purpose of testing. These “bugs” must be fixed through additional computer programming, and then the three week testing process begins again.

The Clean Slate Act affects nearly 100 years of criminal history records – from when they were kept on paper, to the state’s first computerized system in the 1990s, to CHS.

The same is true of records held by the courts. Each new system came with improved rules for how data should be entered. As a result, accurate information in a record at the BCA may incorrectly flag as a mismatch to the court record. Here are a few real examples:

Information in a recordListed in a BCA record as:Listed in a court record as:Statute number 152.025152.025.2Case number 12CR123412CR12345Disposition (what ended up happening with the case)Stay of adjudication (a sentencing that allows the person to avoid a conviction)Stay of adjudication plus a conviction

Any of these examples would flag as a mismatch during testing. Every time this happens, the record must be manually reviewed to determine whether they are about the same person and incident. 

-BCA

If you are one of the thousands of Minnesotans affected by the delay in implementing this new law, you still have the power to take action.

TONE UP organizers are here to support you. We can help you share your story, ensuring your voice reaches legislators, media outlets, and key decision-makers who have the power to accelerate this process. By standing together, we can amplify our collective impact and push for the urgent change our communities need.

Don’t wait—connect with us today to make your voice heard and demand the justice you deserve!