Having a criminal record is a major obstacle to those trying to find a job. Most individuals don’t know that some of these job seekers can remove these criminal arrests and dispositions through a process known as expungement or sealing.
In Illinois, individuals can qualify to have all arrest that resulted in dismissals, misdemeanors that resulted in supervision and some felony drug arrests expunged from their records.
Even if the case resulted in a dismissal of all charges, employers who run background checks can access arrests and hold that against job seekers. These arrests can be viewed as contact with law enforcement and as a result, these job seekers are oftentimes eliminated from consideration. Employers use criminal background checks to narrow down applicant pools.
Studies show that job seekers who have criminal records get called back 50% less than those who do not have criminal records. The percentages are much worse for minorities. Studies have also showed that expunging one’s record leads to a person earning 20% more and that 73% of those who expunge their records find work within four months.
If you or a loved on is seeking and expungement or sealing of a criminal record, please contact The Law Office of Purav Bhatt at 773-791-9682 to discuss your options.
