Everyone has something cringe-inducing in their past that they’re ashamed of. For many Washington residents, that can be an early arrest and conviction.
Justice works best when it’s rehabilitative and not just punitive. You’ve certainly proved that you turned over a new leaf and left your poor choices behind with your criminal conviction. But when that conviction limits your future options, it might be time to redeem yourself.
Convictions carry real-world consequences
You may be the sum total of all of your life experiences, but your criminal past might still be barring you from lucrative career opportunities. Sometimes, it may seem that no matter that you paid years ago for your mistake, it is still dogging your steps even now.
Depending on the nature of your earlier conviction, you might not even be able to volunteer your time and efforts in the community. Convictions for many offenses can preclude your working with or around children (and sometimes even living in proximity to them).
Life shouldn’t be this hard
When you have worked as hard as you have to completely turn your life in a different direction, you deserve the kind of break that only redemptive law can bring. Seeking an expungement of your criminal record can be just what you need to forge ahead with your crime-free life.
Good people can still make bad choices. But when they accept responsibility and complete their court-ordered sanctions, some of them deserve a second chance. Learning more about how the state of Washington handles expungement of criminal convictions is a good place to start.