There’s a reason more than half of prisoners end up returning to prison within five years of their release: It’s hard for them to make their way back into society when their criminal record prevents them from doing so. When the world doesn’t greet you with open arms, and instead constantly refers to your past mistakes, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns and re-offend. This is especially true when you consider the fact that many ex-cons will be strapped for cash and therefore extra desperate to make ends meet.

A new Idaho legislation would allow certain felons to petition the courts to seal their public records so that they have access to more opportunities, Democratic Representative Ilana Rubel and Republican Senator Dave Lent are pushing hard for the “Clean Slate” bill to help aid in the success of rehabilitated criminals. Rubel stated, “The idea here is to let people get their lives back on track, so they can get jobs and get housing and move forward in a constructive way.”

The bill would only allow felons who have been convicted of nonviolent and nonsexual crimes to file a petition, and only after they’ve served their total sentences and have gone three years without reoffending. While law enforcement and judges would still be able to see the records, they would be sealed from the general public, including employers and landlords who might otherwise discriminate.

This will likely help Idaho prisoners to stay out of prison and secure legitimate employment. If society expects ex-cons to become productive workers and citizens, we have to give them the ability to do so. This bill would certainly make strides in this effort.