Reentry
Get and fix a criminal record
Brianna's record sits in 2 counties, and 1 dismissed case still shows as open.
Brianna. Brianna needs her full criminal record to apply for relief, but her cases are spread across two counties and a state database. The state report lists one case as an open charge, though it was dismissed years ago, and that error keeps blocking her.
- Legal outcome they want
- Brianna has a complete, corrected record in every system.
- Life outcome they want
- Brianna passes background checks for work and housing.
The problem
People need their full criminal record to apply for relief, a job, or a license, and that record can be spread across county courts, state databases, and federal systems. Records can also be wrong: a dismissed case shown as pending, a charge listed twice, or another person's case attached to their name. Each error can block a background check or an application for relief.
The legal outcome
The legal outcome is a complete and corrected record, with every case showing its true outcome in every system that reports it. Getting there means requesting records from each court and agency, comparing them, and filing correction requests with the right office. A correction in one system may never reach the others, so people may need to follow up again and again.
The life outcome
The life outcome is passing background checks for work and housing, and being able to apply for the relief the person qualifies for. An accurate record also lets people answer application questions honestly and with confidence. How could people see their whole record, and how could errors be fixed everywhere they appear?
One story of how this service works today
Where this story ends todayErrors stay in some databases even after one system is corrected.
- Specialized techThe state database shows a dismissed case as open
- The personRequests records from each county by mail
- Off-the-shelf techPays an online background site for her report
- Non-expert helperA court clerk prints dispositions for a fee
- Community, family, or navigatorA reentry navigator compiles the papers
- Expert helperAn attorney writes to the state to correct the error
Where people drop offRecords come back incomplete or wrong, and corrections take months.
A dashed step is one where people drop out of this story.
This is one story of how the service works today. It is a draft written for people to react to and change, and another place will look different.