Having a criminal record can complicate many aspects of life and hinder future opportunities. That’s why it can be important to understand these potential roadblocks and consider ways to expunge them. Our criminal record can affect many aspects of life, and in this post, we explore whether expungement is a way forward.
Effects on Employment Opportunities
When you have a criminal record, it usually harms your job prospects, making it difficult to move forward in your career. Employers often run background checks, and if you have prior convictions, it can appear as a red flag. But when the qualifications are up to par, people with history are still being turned away. This fact highlights the need for transparency in the application process. For some potential employers, demonstrating rehabilitation and a commitment to change can make a difference. However, in competitive fields, a criminal past may still be a huge liability. Speak to an Ohio criminal defense lawyer to understand how a criminal record affects you.
Housing Challenges
For people with a criminal history, an entirely new obstacle arises: stable housing. However, landlords generally conduct background checks, and most are still reluctant to rent to those with a conviction history. That can lead to a scarcity of places to live and leave people to take whatever they can get. Public housing policies in places also narrow down who can get in, making it even harder. This makes securing safe, stable housing an ongoing battle that influences the quality of one’s life.
Education and Financial Aid
That may also complicate efforts to pursue higher education. Some educational institutions consider criminal records when making admissions decisions. Not all schools will simply reject applicants based on this, but some schools may have restrictions or require students to do more than those who studied in English-speaking schools. Additionally, this can jeopardize financial aid eligibility. Education could be harder to access for some since some convictions disqualify people from getting federal student loans or grants. These limitations highlight the importance of the current funding alternatives and guidance for our potential students.
Social Stigma/Relationships
Aside from physical obstacles that may come with a criminal record, there is also a social stigma that often comes with it, which can hinder one from maintaining and building important personal relationships. Family, friends, and society in general may look at people with suspicion. Perception shapes self-esteem and the way one interacts socially, which in turn breeds isolation. It is hard to traverse these dynamics without empathetic network support or lots of resilience. It may take time and effort to build new relationships, and trust must be earned.
Expungement as a Solution
With these obstacles, many ask, is expungement the answer? Expungement is the process of sealing or erasing a criminal record, allowing individuals to start over fresh. However, it is not the same for everyone, and it will apply to different factors, such as the nature of the offense, the jurisdiction in which it took place, and how long ago the conviction was. Non-violent offenses, misdemeanors, or juvenile records tend to qualify for expungement more readily than other types of offenses. Legal professionals can offer clear answers on whether one qualifies and how to do it.
Benefits of Expungement
Expungement, however, can change your life. Having no record will make it less difficult for people to find a job and a place to live because they will not have past offenses shown in their background checks. Furthermore, sealing a record will ease the stigma and operate much better when trying to reintegrate and reconnect to society. In addition, many feel a lot better emotionally because the ton of having a criminal record is no longer there. Any new freedom like this can motivate and liberate and give you the impetus to chase dreams you never thought possible before.
Obstacles in the Process of Expungement
The prospects are promising, but there are also challenges on the road to expungement. Things can get complicated on the legal front. Therefore, you will need to maintain all the paperwork and dates with extreme caution. Filing fees and attorney costs may limit affordability. Even to get a record expunged, they may not all be eligible for this change, meaning some will be left out of luck. Recognizing these hurdles before them is the key to ensuring that the journey ahead is undertaken with proper expectations.
Conclusion
A criminal conviction indeed affects many aspects of life, whether professionally or personally. But while the road may seem a little long and grueling, this could be a potential solution to fighting back against this challenge. Understanding the fallout and the avenues that present themselves in the law makes a return to the future possible. A clean slate is the possibility of hope and a deeper participation in society, an opportunity for connection and purpose.
