Rasa, a new app designed to help Utahns expunge past criminal records, launched on Wednesday.
Noella Sudbury, founder and CEO of Rasa, created the app after years of work as an attorney knowing how big of a morale boost it would have on residents knowing that their record would be wiped clean.
Sudbury says that people with criminal records continue to be judged 10, 15, and even 20 years later sometimes, so she’s been wanting to figure out a way to help people in that regard. She says that hiring a lawyer could be around $2,000 to $3,000, but Rasa’s services only cost $500 for up to three records.
In just a few simple steps, Rasa users can enter information and the app will go to work towards finding expungeable records in Utah. The app launched with major backing and support behind it including Jenetta Williams with the NAACP and West Jordan police chief Ken Wallentine.
Something special about the Rasa app is that it’s actually being used by the people who work for the company itself. Amy Deschel, Rasa’s director of client services, says that she developed an addiction to OxyContin after having 12 foot surgeries. Deschel had been arrested seven different times before getting the opportunity to get help with treatment. Now, Deschel works with Rasa bringing her own experience to the table with the opportunity to use the app for herself.
Clean Slate Utah is even in support of Rasa’s mission, offering financial assistance to help people clear their records and obtain new opportunities.
