Record Clearance Project Presents Work by 18 Artists During the National Lived Experience Leadership Conference

Roman Rozin first learned about San José State's Record Clearance Project (RCP) when he was incarcerated at Elmwood Correctional Facility, where he attended a class on record expungement taught by RCP staff and students. When he was released from jail, he remembers riding a bus through San José in a pair of velcro shoes and donated clothes, keeping his eyes peeled for San José State. Once on campus, he asked around until he found the RCP office and signed up to work with peer mentor Stacy Quezada.

The Record Clearance Project offered Rozin support finding housing, a job, a phone, and access to the resources he needed to get on his feet. Founded in 2008 by Justice Studies instructor Margaret (Peggy) Stevenson, the RCP's service navigation team assists people as they leave custody and provides free legal assistance to clear community members' records.

Six months later, Rozin is one of 18 artists selected for an upcoming exhibition curated by RCP, in partnership with nonprofit Local Color, as part of the 2026 National Lived Experience Leadership Conference in downtown San José. Held in partnership with the National Coalition for the Homeless , the NELC brings together individuals with lived experiences of homelessness alongside activists and leaders from across the country for three days of connection, learning and leadership development.

A recording of Rozin's original rap song, "Roman's Art Exhibition," will be available for visitors to listen to as part of the exhibit.

The exhibit, "Connecting systems. Centering humanity" showcases a range of creative expressions that center dignity, community and connection, demonstrating how the people most impacted by these issues can work alongside creatives, advocates, policymakers and systems to build pathways toward housing stability and belonging. The exhibition highlights the work of artists who have lived experiences of homelessness and/or incarceration will be on display at the downtown Marriott from 6 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29. Rozin will be there early to answer questions about the RCP.

"This is going to be the first time my music is shared with people in the community like this," says Rozin. "I [wrote] the song about my class; it's positive. I feel very grateful, thankful and super appreciative. I feel honored to be able to share these moments with people whose jobs are to be in service to other people. Those are people with strong character, the type of people who know about the permanent things in life, the things that don't fade away, like principles."

In addition to his musical talent, Rozin is currently studying mechatronics at Mission College and hopes to transfer to San José State once he completes his associate's degree.

The exhibition on September 29 is the second such presentation of RCP client artwork, the first occurring in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in 2024 . Both events serve to platform the work of artists with a unique perspective on homelessness as well as the criminal justice system.

"What really stands out to me about this conference is that for 90% of the people participating, this is their first time having an opportunity to exhibit their art," says Hamish Bonnar, '25 Justice Studies, RCP project assistant. "A lot of them have come into the office and they're nervous, they're excited, and you can see their faces light up at the opportunity being presented. The artwork itself is amazing, and deserves to be seen. This conference and this exhibit provides a unique opportunity for these artists to get a bit more exposure and potentially open doors for them to exhibit more in the future."

Bonnar first encountered RCP as a student enrolled in the corresponding Justice Studies course, and later learned to interview and prepare clients for the record expungement process. He says that the hands-on experience interacting with RCP clients challenged his preconceived notions of people with records. Many of the clients seeking support with record expungement have overcome challenges with addiction, domestic abuse, housing instability and other traumatic experiences - and the addition of a criminal record creates additional barriers in finding safe housing, securing jobs or getting necessary healthcare.

"I very quickly fell in love with the work," he says. "Within a few weeks, you're working with clients and having an impact. One of the biggest things that I learned and that I still love about the work we do is that you can learn from every single person. Everyone's got value to add, and that's been very true of this job. So many of the people we work with are written off or put aside by society, whereas being in this position to help people [allows me to] give a voice to the voiceless."