WSJ: Arrest Records -- Consequences can last a lifetime

Repeater · Aug 19, 2014

The Wall Street Journal reports the truth: anyone who is arrested -- but not convicted -- can spend a lifetime undoing the damage. Kind of argues against Universal Background Checks, huh?

Even if Charges Were Dropped, a Lingering Arrest Record Can Ruin Chances of a Job

Many people who have never faced charges, or have had charges dropped, find that a lingering arrest record can ruin their chance to secure employment, loans and housing. Even in cases of a mistaken arrest, the damaging documents aren't automatically removed. In other instances, arrest information is forwarded to the FBI but not necessarily updated there when a case is thrown out locally. Only half of the records with the FBI have fully up-to-date information.

Gee, do you suppose The Feds are to blame? Is Chuck Schumer a Gun-Hater?

The wave of arrests has been fueled in part by unprecedented federal dollars funneled to local police departments and new policing tactics that condoned arrests for even the smallest offenses. Spending on law-enforcement by states and local governments hit $212 billion in 2011, including judicial, police and corrections costs, according to the most recent estimates provided to the U.S. Census Bureau. By comparison, those figures, when adjusted for inflation, were equivalent to $179 billion in 2001 and $128 billion in 1992.

WSJ: Arrest Records -- Consequences can last a lifetime

Repeater

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