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Erasing Criminal Records? Tread Lightly! |
| Friends, hold on to your hats, for we are in for a wild ride! A new law is sweeping across the country, state by state, that allows criminals who paid their dues to erase their criminal records. Currently, 12 states expunge first-time criminal offenses after ex-convicts demonstrate a law-abiding lifestyle for 10 years. Thankfully, even their magnanimity does not forgive murder, arson, and child molestation. Now, don't get me wrong, I am as fair as the next guy, but some of this doesn't sit well with me; it seems I am not the only one. As more states - Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Illinois - are considering amendments to laws that address the longevity of criminal records, more outcries against such changes are heard from the people who fear being negatively impacted by them. Sure, it makes sense that a middle-aged, church-going hair stylist should be able to get a license to do people's hair, in spite of the fact that as a troubled teen, strung out on drugs, she was part of an armed robbery where her then-boyfriend did the actual work. But surely we can also relate to the fears of employers who do not wish to be blindsided; they want to know if they may be hiring a thief for a position that has access to money. Who can blame them? They may even choose to give that person a chance, but would prefer to make an informed decision. Erasing previous criminal records would also make it impossible to properly prosecute repeat offenses. Once again, there is no black and white, and unfortunately, most laws tend to have a sweeping standard approach to many different cases that should be examined by a rational, discerning eye on an individual basis. One thing is clear: when it comes to erasing criminal records, we should tread very lightly before we change the laws aimed at protecting our society. [ See Press Room ] date posted: 2009-07-24 16:21:02 |
