‘My emancipation proclamation’: the man fighting to free millions from their criminal records

Jay Jordan has led a successful campaign to give millions in California the chance to clear their criminal records. Photograph: Courtesy of Alliance for Safety and Justice

When Jay Jordan was getting out of prison in 2012, he had an ambitious plan to turn his life around. He was going to sell life insurance, restore old cars, get a real estate license, and establish a community barbershop.

There was one problem: his criminal record barred him from every single industry.