How a Criminal Record Can Impact Your Life in Sacramento

How a Criminal Record Can Impact Your Life in Sacramento

Having a criminal record can really mess up someone’s life. It sticks with you forever and affects so many things. I wanted to write this article to help folks in Sacramento understand what happens when you get convicted of a crime. I’m not a lawyer but I’ve seen how criminal records hurt my friends and family. Hopefully this info helps you or someone you care about.

Getting a Job

One of the biggest impacts of having a record is struggling to find work. Most employers do background checks before hiring. When they see a conviction, you often get filtered out. This happens even for minor crimes like petty theft or drug possession. Heck, even arrests without convictions show up and can ruin your chances.

There are a few protections in California. Ban the box laws stop employers from asking about criminal history early in the process . And you can’t be denied just for arrests not leading to convictions . But if the employer finds out later, you can still be let go.

Your record also matters for what type of work you can do. Convictions for fraud or theft make it really hard to get jobs handling money. Drug crimes can keep you from working in health care or schools. And violent offenses make it tough to work in security.

If you want to appeal, try to show how you’ve changed or that the crime isn’t related to the job. But for many employers, any conviction is too risky.

Housing Issues

Finding a place to live with a record is a huge barrier. Most landlords run background checks before renting to you. They can legally deny housing just because you have a criminal history, even an old or minor one. The only exception is in San Francisco, which bans this .

This housing discrimination pushes people into homelessness or substandard living situations. It also makes it hard for folks to start over after incarceration if they can’t find stable housing.

Public housing often bans people with convictions too. The Sacramento Housing Authority says you’re ineligible for 3 years if convicted of drug manufacturing or 5 years for violent crimes . And most private landlords aren’t flexible.

If you’re upfront and show rehabilitation, some places may still rent to you. But it takes a ton of searching and luck.

Other Consequences

There are so many other ways a record messes up your life:

• Can’t get government benefits like welfare or food stamps
• Ineligible for student loans and other education aid
• Bars or restrictions on professional licensing
• Suspension or revocation of driver’s license
• Loss of voting rights and jury duty privileges
• Difficulty traveling internationally
• Deportation if not a U.S. citizen

And if you’re convicted of another crime later, you’ll get punished more harshly as a repeat offender. Some three strikes laws can even mean life sentences for small crimes .

Sealing and Expunging Your Record

There are ways to minimize your criminal record though. If eligible, you can petition the court to seal or expunge parts of it . This isn’t exactly deleting it, but it hides it from public view.

For expungement, the court destroys or seals the records. Sealing just makes the records private. Either way, most employers and landlords won’t see your convictions anymore. There are still some exceptions though where sealed records are visible.

You have to meet certain requirements about your crimes and behavior to qualify. It’s also a long process taking over a year in California. But it gives you a fresh start if approved.