Have you heard of something called expungement? It’s when judges allow people to have their records sealed or permanently wiped clean. A conviction can be expunged in a few different ways, such as by completing certain courses or pleading guilty to certain crimes and paying a fine.

You Can Still Vote

As long as your criminal record has been expunged, it will not appear on your background checks. That means you will be able to get a job and have the right to vote.

If you have already voted in an election, you can still cast your ballot again, but that does not mean that your conviction will disappear from the public record.

You will still be able to do all of the other things that are associated with having a criminal record—like renting an apartment or applying for jobs—but it won’t appear on any background checks or criminal history reports.

You Can Get A Job

It’s a form of relief that gives you peace of mind. Many people are afraid to tell prospective employers about their criminal record because they assume they’ll be fired or rejected. An expungement means that no one will know about your arrest or conviction except for you and those who matter most.

Your Record Is Sealed

Once the court has completed its investigation and found that there was no crime involved, your record is sealed forever. This means that people won’t be able to look up information about your past offenses on Google or any other search engine.

If someone does find out about your record through some other way, such as seeing it on a background check, then it will only show up in specific cases as opposed to all arrests from one point in time.

You May Be Able To Apply For An Expungement If:

• Your conviction has been wiped from the public record under your state’s expungement laws; or
• You’ve had your conviction removed from the public record in another state; or
• The judge who presided over your case determined there are no longer any grounds for keeping it on file.

Conclusion

An expungement is a privilege that you may be entitled to after being incarcerated for non-violent crimes. Convicted felons, who are not eligible for probation, tend to be better educated, more law-abiding and hold higher-skilled jobs than other potential job candidates.

If a criminal record does not exist and has been expunged, a person may reapply for many jobs that require a clean background check. Expungements can also restore voting rights, which many prisoners are often disenfranchised from their entire lives.