We often see and hear stories about wrongly accused individuals living their life in a prison cell meant for someone else. How does one go back to their life after being wrongly accused of a crime? Illinois is considering this question while trying to make things easier for the wrongly accused.
The state is introducing a bill that would end expungement and sealing fees statewide for individuals who have been wrongly arrested, charged, or convicted. The bill would prevent those who have already suffered injustice from astronomical legal fees and tarnished reputations to have their names cleared of false criminal histories at no cost. We know that people who aren’t wrongly accused have a hard time reintegrating back into society, finding housing, and getting a job—but very few people think about those who are carrying a false criminal history around with them.
Think about your favorite criminal justice show. We all seem to dismiss the first person arrested on CSI and then released when they catch the real killer, but what happens to the initially accused? They still end up with an arrest on their record. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office stated that roughly 17% of their prison population is released with no charges filed against them, or is found not guilty. These individuals still struggle because there’s an arrest on their record even though they weren’t convicted. The wrongfully accused deserve to have any misleading and inaccurate criminal histories obliterated from their records, and the current fees inhibit the wrongly accused from many opportunities.
The Illinois bill is a great step in the right direction to help the wrongly arrested, charged, or convicted. People shouldn’t have to pay to clear their names when detectives and judges have already done so. At Easy Expunctions, we work with you by providing a free record check to get you started, and have multiple record clearing packages for qualifying charges. We know a mistake from years ago shouldn’t follow you into a job interview or a housing application. Find out exactly what’s on your record for free at www.easyexpunctions.com.
