“This is everyone's issue”: Policy entrepreneurs, issue framing, and coalition building in the passage of automatic criminal record expungement

Since 2018, at least 12 U.S. states have introduced policies to expunge certain eligible arrest and criminal conviction records through automated or algorithmic means.Drawing on interviews with governmental representatives and community stakeholders, this paper identifies strategies used to pass this legislation in Pennsylvania and Utah, the first two states to enact automated expungement policies.We frame our findings around three established theoretical frameworks of public policy making-policy entrepreneurship, issue framing, and coalition building-illustrating their combined strategic importance with data gathered from those involved on the ground in the passage and adoption of automated expungement legislation.The findings add depth and nuance to the policy-making literature, along with practical implications for future criminal legal reform initiatives.