Straight answers, plain language
If these words could…change your life
Some of these questions are about who we are and how to reach us. Others are about the legal system itself, the words used in a courtroom, and what happens after a conviction. However small, the right answer at the right moment can change what happens next. That's why we wrote these down.
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About Clear Tomorrow KC
01 — The organization
The basics on who we are, what we do, and how to reach us.
Clear Tomorrow KC is a Kansas City nonprofit founded by Johnny Waller Jr. We work to break cycles of incarceration by pairing behavioral health support with reentry services for justice-involved individuals and their families.
We run four core programs built around different points in a person's journey: Clear Mind (behavioral health support), Clear Start, Clear Path, and Clear Home. Visit our What We Do page for a full look at each one.
Yes. Clear Tomorrow KC, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, EIN 33-1557848.
Start on our Community Cares page, where you can complete a mental wellness check-in, take a trauma screening, or join the waitlist for professional support. You can also reach us directly at info@ctkc.org or (816) 597-2852.
Why Not KC is our grassroots direct-aid initiative. It started with Johnny personally funding grocery giveaways, and has grown to cover any urgent need, from bills to rent to gas, whenever we're able to help.
You can give through our Donate page. If you'd rather support someone's urgent need directly, Why Not KC is built for that kind of ongoing, no-strings giving.
We're always looking for people to help with programs, events, and expungement clinics like Kansas City Expungement Day. Check current openings on our Volunteer page.
Our office is at 2881 E 31st St, Kansas City, MO. We serve justice-involved individuals and their families across the Kansas City area.
We take privacy seriously and handle what you share with care. For the specifics of what we collect and how it's used, see our Privacy Policy.
It's a memorial scholarship fund honoring Jordyn L. Waller, and it's one of the most personal parts of our work. Learn more and apply on the scholarship fund page.
Understanding the System
02 — The legal glossary
Courtrooms and case files come with their own vocabulary. Here's what the terms actually mean, grouped by where you'd run into them.
THE BIG PICTURE
As of the end of 2023, the U.S. prison population was 1,254,200, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and the prison population has grown dramatically over the past several decades.
Mass incarceration refers to the extraordinarily high rates of imprisonment in the United States compared to other nations, particularly among Black and Latino individuals. It's marked by a dramatic rise in the prison population alongside the disproportionate targeting of specific racial and socioeconomic groups, with consequences that reach far beyond the people incarcerated into their families and communities.
Civil rights are legal rights that protect individuals from discrimination and guarantee equal opportunity regardless of characteristics like race, gender, religion, or disability.
The three C's are Cops, Courts, and Corrections, the three components that work together to address crime: law enforcement investigates and arrests, courts adjudicate, and corrections carries out punishment and rehabilitation.
Civil law deals with disputes between individuals or organizations and aims to compensate the injured party. Criminal law addresses offenses against society as a whole, with the government pursuing punishment for the offender.
Due process is the principle that government must act fairly and justly with individuals, so no one is deprived of life, liberty, or property without following established legal procedures. It covers both fair procedures and the protection of fundamental rights.
GETTING ARRESTED & GOING TO COURT
An arrest is when someone with legal authority, typically a police officer, takes a person into custody to prevent them from leaving and bring them before a court to face charges. It involves restraint, whether physical or a reasonable belief that the person is not free to go.
An arrest warrant is a written order signed by a judge that authorizes law enforcement to arrest a specific person. It's typically issued after an officer presents sworn evidence establishing probable cause that the person committed a crime.
An arraignment is the first formal hearing in a criminal case. The defendant is informed of the charges against them and their legal rights, then asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.
A grand jury indictment is a formal charge issued by a group of citizens convened to review evidence in criminal allegations. If the grand jury finds probable cause, it returns an indictment, a written document formally charging someone with a crime.
A bond is a financial guarantee, usually money or property, used to secure a defendant's release from custody before trial while ensuring they'll appear in court.
A bench trial is a proceeding where a judge, rather than a jury, serves as the sole fact-finder and decision-maker, deciding both what happened and what law applies.
A jury trial is a proceeding where a jury, typically 12 members of the public, hears the evidence and reaches a verdict that determines the outcome of the case.
A plea bargain is an agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant in which the defendant pleads guilty in exchange for concessions, such as a reduced charge or sentence, resolving the case without a trial.
A "no contest" plea, or nolo contendere, lets a defendant accept conviction and punishment for a crime without formally admitting guilt. It waives the right to a trial while stopping short of an admission of responsibility.
WHERE PEOPLE ARE HELD
Jails are typically local facilities run by a city, district, or county. They hold people who were recently arrested or are awaiting trial or sentencing, and can also house those serving short sentences of less than a year.
Prisons are state or federal facilities where people convicted of longer sentences serve their time. Those convicted of state law violations generally go to state prison, while federal convictions go to federal prison. Some states also contract with privately operated facilities, which gives the state less direct control over daily operations.
No. Both hold people who are incarcerated, but jails are typically for shorter sentences, pretrial detention, or minor offenses, while prisons hold people serving longer sentences, often for felonies.
RECORDS, CHARGES & SENTENCES
Adjudicated means a formal judgment has been made on a legal matter. It's the process by which a judge or jury reaches a binding decision on the facts and legal issues in a case.
A criminal record, sometimes called a rap sheet, is an official record of a person's interactions with the criminal justice system, including arrests, charges, convictions, and any resulting sentencing or supervision.
An infraction is a minor legal offense, often a traffic violation, that isn't considered a crime. It typically results in a fine and may add points to your driving record, but unlike a misdemeanor or felony, it doesn't carry jail time, a criminal record, or immigration consequences.
A misdemeanor is a less serious offense than a felony, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine, or both. Examples include trespassing, possessing small amounts of marijuana, and petty theft. Misdemeanors are further classified as Class A, B, C, or D, with penalties varying by class.
Under U.S. law, a felony is generally a crime punishable by a prison term of one year or more, or by the death penalty.
AFTER SENTENCING
Community corrections covers programs that let people serve their sentences outside a traditional facility while still under supervision, including probation, parole, halfway houses, electronic monitoring, and other rehabilitative services aimed at reducing recidivism.
Probation lets a convicted person avoid incarceration while remaining in the community under a probation officer's supervision, following strict conditions set by the court, with the goal of rehabilitation and reintegration.
Parole is the conditional early release of someone from prison to serve the rest of their sentence in the community under supervision. Violating the conditions of parole can send a person back to prison.
A Suspended Execution of Sentence (SES) is when a judge imposes a prison term but suspends it, placing the person on probation instead. The conviction still stands, but if probation is violated, the judge can revoke it and impose the original sentence.
A Suspended Imposition of Sentence (SIS) places a defendant on probation without formally imposing a sentence. If probation is completed successfully, the conviction is set aside and the record is sealed from public view; if it's violated, the judge can impose the full sentence for the original offense.
COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES & CLEARING YOUR RECORD
Collateral consequences are legal, regulatory, and social penalties or disadvantages that come with a criminal conviction automatically, separate from the direct sentence itself, such as imprisonment, fines, or probation.
Mandatory, discretionary, and hidden.
There are more than 46,000 documented collateral consequences of a criminal conviction in the United States.
They can last indefinitely, for a set period, or permanently. Around 80% are indefinite or permanent unless the underlying conviction is expunged, pardoned, or otherwise granted relief.
In Missouri, as in most states, a felony conviction generally stays on your record indefinitely and will show up on background checks unless you take steps to expunge or seal it. Some felonies become eligible for expungement after a waiting period, but it isn't guaranteed.
Recidivism is the tendency to reoffend after a period of punishment or intervention, referring to people who, after being convicted and released, go on to commit another crime.
A pardon is an official act of forgiveness from the government, federal or state, that relieves someone of the legal consequences of a conviction. It can restore rights like voting, holding public office, and serving on a jury.
Expungement is a court-ordered process that seals or destroys the public record of a conviction, making it unavailable to the general public. In effect, it clears the record for eligible offenses.
No questions match that search.
This section is educational, not legal advice.