A criminal record blocks employment, housing, and stability — even decades after the case is closed. We built Path To Clean Slate to remove that barrier at scale.
More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record¹. The vast majority of those records can be cleared, sealed, or expunged — but most people don't know it, can't afford traditional legal services, or don't know where to start.
The result: people who have done everything right — completed their sentence, stayed clean, found support — still can't get hired because a 10-year-old misdemeanor shows up on a background check.
Record clearing increases employment by 30-40%² and meaningfully increases lifetime earnings. It's one of the most measurable, scalable interventions in reentry. And almost nobody is delivering it at scale.
That's the gap we built Path To Clean Slate to close.
Founder, Path To Clean Slate · 100% Disabled USMC Combat Veteran · Based in Elk Grove, California
Reider Waage is a former United States Marine Corps combat veteran with a 100% service-connected disability rating. His background combines military service with technology, faith, and a personal commitment to building tools for people the system has failed.
The Path To family of platforms — Path To Work, Path To Clean Slate, and Path To Life — was built to address the practical barriers facing returning citizens, the long-term unemployed, and people in transition. Each platform is technology-assisted, mission-aligned, and designed to work without requiring large staff infrastructure on the partner side.
Reider is also the author of Crumbs / Far Out In Front, a Christian fiction trilogy reflecting his faith and storytelling background.
Most record-clearing tools serve the individual member only. We built ours to serve the organization — workforce boards, legal aid clinics, faith-based reentry programs, courts, and government agencies. Each org gets a dashboard, custom referral URL, automated reporting, and zero administrative burden.
Case managers don't have time to track another platform. PTCS works without staff involvement after the initial referral. Members self-serve. Outcomes auto-track. Reports auto-generate. Partner staff see results in real time without lifting a finger.
A cleared record is only useful if it leads to a job. PTCS hands cleared members directly to Path To Work, our employment platform — closing the full reentry loop from record relief to employment.
Free for individuals. Always. Partner orgs pay only after a successful 60-day pilot demonstrates value. Government agencies use existing WIOA Title I supportive services funding.
PTCS is built for 7 organization types: workforce development boards and WIOA programs, legal aid organizations, government agencies, courts and diversion programs, faith-based reentry ministries, nonprofit social services, and second-chance employers.
Each org type gets a tailored dashboard with the fields, reports, and compliance tools their work requires.
We do not provide legal advice. PTCS is a technology platform that provides general information and step-by-step guidance. We are not a law firm and do not represent clients. For legal advice specific to a case, we recommend consulting a licensed attorney or free legal aid organization. Free legal aid resources are listed on every state guide.
The 60-day pilot is free. Zero risk to your org. Outcomes documented in 60 days.
Start a Pilot →Email hello@pathtocleanslate.org · Call (408) 658-9222
¹ The Sentencing Project, "One Strike and You're Out: How We Can Eliminate Barriers to Economic Security and Mobility for People with Criminal Records," 2023. sentencingproject.org
² The Sentencing Project, "A Lifetime of Punishment: The Impact of the Felony Drug Ban on Welfare and Public Housing," 2023; supported by RAND Corporation labor market research on post-expungement employment outcomes.
³ National Center for State Courts (2024) — average court filing fee for expungement petition; varies by state.