Budget committee backs Public Defender plan to expand Clean Slate unit with $285,000 in foundation grants

Chair Matt Haney and the Budget & Finance Committee on April 14 recommended that the full Board approve a retroactive ordinance authorizing the Public Defender’s Office to accept $285,000 in foundation funding and expand its Clean Slate unit.

Public Defender Mano Raju told the committee the funding — $250,000 from the Crank Start Foundation and $35,000 from the Kelson/Kelsen Foundation — would allow the office to add one attorney and one paralegal and increase the program’s capacity by roughly 50%. Raju said Clean Slate helps clients clear arrest and conviction records that can block access to housing, employment and education; he said the program currently serves about 6,000 clients and the additional staff would allow it to serve roughly 9,000.

"Clean Slate provides access to San Francisco so they can actually clear their felony records," Raju said, adding that the program carries forward what he described as the late public defender Jeff Adachi’s legacy of helping people move out of the shadows.

Vice Chair Asha Safaie and Supervisor Gordon Marr both praised the grant and thanked philanthropic partners. There were no callers in the public comment queue for this item.

The committee voted unanimously to move the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the roll call recorded three ayes (Safaie, Marr, Haney). The ordinance is scheduled for the Board of Supervisors agenda on April 20 unless otherwise stated.

Next steps: the item will appear before the full Board for final approval and implementation will proceed if the Board adopts the ordinance.