Spotlight Announcement

9/20/2005: New Study Examines Policy and Practice Resulting in Collateral Consequences to Criminal Convictions

A new study, entitled Relief from the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction: A State-by-State Resource Guide, illustrates the variety and complexity of state and federal laws that regulate and restrict convicted persons after their court- imposed sentences have been fully discharged.It offers a comprehensive review of state and federal laws and practices relating to restoration of rights and obtaining relief from the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. The study, authored by Margaret Colgate Love, is intended as a resource for policymakers interested in offender reentry and reintegration, for practitioners at all levels of the criminal justice system, and for people with criminal records who are seeking to put their past behind them.

Key portions of the study are available through the Sentencing Project, an organization dedicated to the development of alternative sentencing programs and research and advocacy on criminal justice policy. The available sections include an executive summary of the findings and conclusions, 54 detailed state/jurisdictional profiles, and eight tables that provide an overview of national patterns.

Additional resources on this topic are available on the web, including After Prison: Roadblocks to Reentry, A Report on State Legal Barriers Facing People with Criminal Records and other publications from the Legal Action Center, and the associated National HIRE Network. These barriers to reentry are also addressed in the Epilogue to Part II of the Report of the Reentry Policy Council.

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