Ranaweera is in charge of a groundbreaking expungement programme. A criminal record is a significant weight that thwarts one’s greatest efforts to prosper. It places obstacles on the path to reentering free society; such as barriers to obtaining housing, financial aid, public benefits, entrance into the military, education and job. This is true even if a case was dismissed and/or a person was never really convicted of a crime. Minnesota became the first state in the United States of America in October 2020 to start a justice reform initiative that helps US citizens seal minor convictions and 50 nonviolent felonies from their records at no cost. 

The following story, shared by AAG Nilushi, is one of the 500 cases expunged by the Attorney General’s Office as of now.
A mother of three from St. Paul, had been in an abusive relationship for some time. She lost her patience one day in response to her partner’s narcissistic abusive behaviour and snapped at him. She was later convicted of domestic abuse. She was in nursing school at the time, working toward her goal of becoming a nurse. She had to abandon her education and begin working three jobs to provide for her three children. “She was overjoyed when we were able to get the case dismissed,” Ranaweera said adding, “I called her during the Christmas season to tell her the good news. She stated that it was the nicest Christmas present she could have received.”

She explained how tough it is in America to start a fresh life after being convicted of a crime: “It’s difficult to find work, housing, study, or even go on a school field trip with your children.This programme is offered in several countries. However, many of those programmes necessitate the payment of expungement attorneys and entail years and years of time-consuming procedures. But, in Minnesota, residents can apply for Help Seal My Record without hiring an attorney, going through the lengthy traditional process, or attending hearings”. According to Ranaweera, the Attorney General’s Office analyzes applications to determine eligibility, and county prosecutors are the ones who decide whether the case should be expunged from the records.
Ranaweera added: “I am honoured to be a part of this initiative. We don’t only affect one person’s life. We help a family and return a productive person to society.”