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Three Compelling Reasons for Criminal Record Reform

| By: Expeal Staff

Research

Criminal record reform—and the employment opportunities it unlocks—improves governmental fiscal discipline, ensures victim restitution, and strengthens family bonds.

Bill Gates was arrested by the Albuquerque, NM after he got a speeding ticket and forgot his license.
Bill Gates was arrested by the Albuquerque, NM after he got a speeding ticket and forgot his license. Photo credit: Albuquerque, NM Police via Wikimedia

Record Reform is Good for Everyone

Ensuring criminal records do not remain an obstacle to employment is vital for individuals, the economy, and society at large. Unfortunately, allowing this issue to become a partisan talking point has resulted in real pain and slowed progress. This isn't a problem for the left or the right; it is a challenge for all of us.

As we have noted before, it is important to recognize that 1 out of 100 American adults is currently in prison or jail. However, we know that recidivism drops significantly when people have steady employment. The solution is straightforward: help people get jobs, and the number of people returning to prison will decline. This creates a powerful set of ripple effects regarding fiscal health, victim support, and family stability.

Three Key Benefits of Reform

These ripple effects align with the three most compelling arguments for changing the conversation around record clearing:

  1. Fiscal Discipline: Keeping people in prisons and jails costs taxpayers $182 billion annually. The increase over the years has been particularly dramatic for states, where corrections expenses are usually paid out of general fund dollars. Critically, this spending is often second only to Medicaid. The urgency of this issue becomes clear when you realize these expenses have risen by more than 300% over the years.
  2. Victim Restitution: Every state has a compensation program to help victims of crimes recover their expenses, and most of these programs require repayment by the offender. However, that repayment often fails to materialize because people have difficulty finding jobs due to their records. While there are far bigger problems with the structure of these programs, addressing a person's ability to work is necessary to ensure victims are reimbursed fairly.
  3. Most importantly, Strengthening Families: While exorbitant fines and fees levied while someone is in prison have long damaged a person's ability to get back on their feet, a criminal record causes damage that goes beyond finances. Parents with records often cannot participate in school activities, avoid certain career paths, and are subject to tough housing restrictions that impact how kids can live.

Removing Records Has Proven to Work

Increased wages, reduced recidivism, and a lower prison population are proven outcomes of record clearing. With momentum building behind legislation that streamlines these procedures, we have a real chance to break a systemic component of the cycle of poverty caused by lingering criminal records.

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