At least 650,000 people are released from prison annually in the U.S., federal data show.Ĭalifornia is among 23 states that allow some felonies to be erased from public view in a system known as setting aside and dismissing the convictions, which then means they will not show up on a background check. have some type of criminal record and that one in three adults in the U.S. Several researchers have estimated that as many as 100 million people in the U.S. While advocates for record removal say the process is crucial to enabling people to have a fresh start, government advocates, defense lawyers, journalists and civil society groups debate about what the loss of records and data means as they try to make the American justice system more equitable and accountable. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have some form of record removal, which puts criminal records of varying types out of reach of the general public while usually allowing police, prosecutors and judges to retain access.īut the effort is not without controversy. Even records that show charges were dropped or a person was found innocent can be a barrier to getting ahead.Ī movement to counter these challenges by removing criminal records from public view is taking hold across the U.S. It can disqualify you from voting and serving on a jury.
The record can make it difficult to get a job, find housing, get a business loan, attend college and volunteer at your child’s school. Having a criminal record - even for a minor offense that happened long ago - can cause lifelong problems.
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