The expression “crime doesn’t pay” has never been truer than it is today. In fact, for those who have been arrested, even when never convicted, it is probably more accurate to say that “being arrested could cost you for life.” The cost for those who come into contact with the criminal justice system, both those convicted and those not convicted, results from the criminal record created by the arrest and the subsequent involvement with the criminal justice system. Oftentimes, this information can blemish the individual for life and lead to significant adverse collateral consequences that expand an individual’s involvement and/or punishment well beyond that which was originally contemplated by the criminal justice system.
With the seemingly perpetual existence of criminal history record information, coupled with the ease of accessing such information and the ever-growing use by employers, occupational licensing agencies, landlords, educational institutions, social service agencies and others, the collateral consequences of any arrest and/or conviction are the by-product of the blemish. The problem posed by such criminal history record information especially affects those who have been convicted of a crime at the point in time when they most need access to employment opportunities—their reentry into society.
