Rhode Island State Senate OKs Bill To Expand Expungement

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island State Senate approved legislation to make the possibility of criminal record expungement more widely available.

“A criminal record, even for relatively minor crimes, can be a life sentence of poverty, housing insecurity, unemployment and poor job prospects, and numerous other problems," state Sen. Jacob E. Bissaillon, one of the legislators who introduced the bill, said in a media release.

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"Expungement is an important tool for enabling our justice system to be truly rehabilitative," said Bissaillon, D-Providence.

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"Allowing a wider group of people to access it will restore pathways to better lives and stronger communities, enabling so many more people to meet their needs and those of their families,” he said. “Expungement is more than a justice issue. It’s a housing issue, an economic development issue, a crime prevention issue and a community building issue.”

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Currently, first-time offenders qualify to have a felony expunged 10 years after completing their sentence if it is the only criminal charge on their record, according to the release. The bill would enable people to qualify for expungement of up to four felonies, but only for nonviolent offenses and not until 15 years after they have completed their final sentence. Crimes such as child endangerment, elder abuse and driving under the influence would not be eligible for expungement.

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"This is the second year the Senate has passed this legislation, although this year, with significant involvement from Senate Judiciary Chairman Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) it underwent revisions that ensure that domestic violence convictions do not qualify," the release said.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.

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