It took two years, but Connecticut is finally resuming the Clean Slate Law, which erases some older criminal convictions.

As of Friday, the state has wiped away 71,000 records – with the remaining backlog expected to be cleared by the end of this month.

But for those waiting for exoneration, the constant delays have been agonizing.

Rogsbert King grew up on Bridgeport’s East End.

“I actually lived in this house,” she said. “It was a rough neighborhood, listen. But we were able to play.”

King said crime was a way of life there. That led to a series of drug convictions in the 1980s and 90s.

But even decades later – after getting a master’s degree – King remained trapped by her criminal record.

“One job actually hired me in Greenwich, and I had my master’s then. And she said you start orientation on Monday,” King said. “They called me back and said, ‘Yeah, you can’t. We can’t hire you.’”

That's why Connecticut passed the Clean Slate Law in 2021.

After seven years, most misdemeanors are automatically erased. After a decade, so are minor felonies (Class D, E, and unclassified felonies) – except for crimes involving family violence or sexual abuse. More serious crimes do not qualify.

But computer and data problems plagued the rollout from the start.

Originally slated to begin in January of 2023, the first delay was supposed to be six months. Then the deadline was pushed back to January of 2024.

During that announcement, King helped Gov. Ned Lamont ceremonially “wipe away” the remaining convictions on a chalkboard.

But as of this summer, only 13,000 records had been cleared.

“My passion turned into anger,” said King. “I was angry, but it was passionate anger because I’m fighting for people who really don’t have a voice.”

Last week, erasures finally resumed. By the end of October, more than 100,000 people should finally have their records cleared, according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

“This complex process required integrating data between dozens of law enforcement agencies, negotiating outdated technology, to come up with a system that was accurate and fair,” said DESPP spokesperson Rick Green. “Connecticut’s groundbreaking Clean Slate initiative will lead to new opportunities for housing, education and employment for thousands of Connecticut residents who are eligible for erasure.”

The state brought in a new IT vendor, iLAB Consulting, that was able to reconcile conflicting data. Connecticut lawmakers also devoted extra money in the state budget for system upgrades.

King is optimistic that Clean Slate will finally happen – for real this time. She said the delay cost everyone.

“Each time a person gets a job, that’s a person who is not on food stamps, not dependent upon Section 8, not dependent upon any of this,” she said.

Click HERE to learn more about the Clean Slate Law.

Expungements are automatic for convictions after Jan. 1, 2000. For convictions prior to that date, you must petition the court for erasure.

Click HERE to see if your criminal record has been cleared yet.

To get more information, Clean Slate advocates are hosting an event on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Triumphant Christian Church at 2540 Park Avenue in Bridgeport.