For those who believe in second chances, 2014 was a good year for some Illinois residents, who have former Governor Pat Quinn to thank. During his tenure, which ended in January 2015, Governor Quinn would rule on 4,928 clemency petitions — the most of any Illinois governor.
Read MoreHow to expunge an arrest / criminal record in Illinois. Earlier this year I wrote about Illinois’ Ban-the-Box Law, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2015. I’d like to point out a few things I did not mention. First, the law includes a broad exception for employers who are prohibited under federal or state law from hiring someone who has committed certain criminal offenses. This exception covers school districts, law enforcement agencies, and healthcare providers, to name a few. Thus, if you are looking for work in these job sectors you will be asked to disclose your criminal history on a job application.
Read MoreNormally my posts address issues pertaining to people with criminal backgrounds. Today, however, I want to talk about something that happened to my brother a few months ago. My brother suffers from a mental illness. Like people who have a criminal history, people who are mentally ill struggle daily to gain acceptance in a society that rarely takes the time to get to them know - to see past the labels.
Read MoreAfter several failed lobbying attempts, the Illinois Legislature finally agreed to amend the Criminal Identification Act to extend the right to seal to individuals with minor violent (misdemeanor) offenses such as simple battery, assault, and reckless conduct. On August 19, 2014, Governor signed this legislation into law. The law will go into effect starting January 1, 2015.
Read MoreExpungement Lawyers. For the last several years the U.S. economy has failed to create enough jobs for the number of people looking for work. Illinoisans have suffered more than others. Illinois ranks third in the percentage of unemployed workers – 8.6% -- only Rhode Island and Nevada have higher rates of employment.
Read MoreSeveral months ago I published the first part of a two-part blog posting on separating fact from fiction on the ramifications of having a criminal record. This posting includes the remaining five things you should know if you have a criminal record in Illinois:
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