Society should move in one direction: forward. However, individuals carrying felony charges continue to live within the confines of a nonviolent offense that occurred twenty, thirty, or forty years ago. North Carolina expands its realm of forgiveness pertaining to former felony convictions with the advancement of Senate Bill 301, a law that would allow a person to expunge a second nonviolent felony offense twenty years after the conviction or sentence completion.
North Carolina’s SB 301 is an expansion of the Second Chance Act that passed in June, which permits expungement for certain juvenile offenders and simplifies the expungement process for adults. The new legislation would implement additional measures for the act. For instance, a burglary charge would change its classification from a violent felony to a nonviolent felony once twenty years have passed, making it eligible for expungement. The Second Chance Act is said to remove a number of economic barriers to expungement for roughly 800,000 citizens, demonstrating a clear win for North Carolinians with criminal records. Since the Second Chance Act received such high levels of support, SB 301 is expected to succeed as well. The Senate Committee on Judiciary voted in favor of the bill. In order for the law to go into effect, both chambers of the General assembly must approve the bill by a full vote. If approved, North Carolinians will no longer be forced to suffer consequences resulting from a twenty year old nonviolent conviction, a notion that should’ve been enforced decades ago.
North Carolina has the potential to influence surrounding states into implementing similar reforms. SB 301 is a starting point that could motivate that state to enforce even greater nondiscriminatory measures that not only improve economic conditions, but the quality of life for North Carolinians with criminal records. If your criminal record is weighing you down, it’s time to take action. Visit EasyExpunctions.com to start your journey toward a clear criminal record.