There are many benefits out there that people do not take advantage of. One of the most consequential that is open to some is the expungement of their criminal record.
One report found you are 63% more likely to get a job interview if background checks do not show you as having a criminal record and your wages will rise an average of 22% in the first year after an expungement. So why are people not jumping at the chance?
People don’t know
Many people have never heard of expungement. Others have heard of it but have no idea that they are eligible for it. They carry on enduring the burden of their criminal record because they do not realize they have an option.
It’s not something you see a lot of public information on as some with power are not keen to encourage the extra workload expunging more crimes would bring to the court system, despite the benefits it could have for society. There is likely a racial element to that lack of interest, too, as a higher number of Blacks and Latinos would stand to benefit from expungement as they are the ones who are disproportionately arrested and convicted in the first place.
They think they can’t afford it
There are costs involved with an expungement and an individual struggling to make ends meet may not feel they can spare the cash for this. Understanding just how financially beneficial it could be in the long term may encourage some of these people to find ways to make those payments, despite the short-term hardship it may bring.
Learning more is a good place to start if you want to know whether you qualify for expungement and how to go about it if you do.