Beyond the Eternal Criminal Record: Public Support for Expungement

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

In his The Eternal Criminal Record, James Jacobs has detailed how it has become increasingly difficult for ex-offenders to escape the mark of their criminal record. One way to “wipe the slate clean” is through the official expungement of criminal records. One rationale for expanding the use of expungement across states is to show that the public endorses this policy. Based on a 2017 national survey of 1,000 respondents, the current study examines overall support for expungement. The analysis also considers how such support is affected by how long an offender stays crime free, the type of crime an offender was convicted of, and actions offenders engage that might signal their redemption.

Authors

• Angela J. Thielo, University of Louisville

• Alexander Burton, University of Cincinnati

• Velmer S. Burton Jr., University of Mississippi

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati