“’If your crime is being poor, you won’t be able to get your record clear because it’s costly,’ said Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative. ‘You have to get an attorney, you have to jump through hoops, you have to take off work — it’s just really complicated.’
The problem is, most people don’t realize that having a record goes beyond a criminal conviction, and going to jail or prison, Meade says.
‘Just a mere brush with the legal system can have long-lasting, negative impacts on your family, community, and larger, especially our economy,’ Meade said, noting that employers, landlords, and higher education administrators use background checks to screen potential applicants.”