Legislators are working on a bill designed to erase nonviolent felonies from the records of now-upstanding citizens in hopes of helping them secure high-paying jobs.
Sen. Vincent Sheheen said Thursday the goal is to find a way to remove the criminal label that makes securing a good job difficult for someone who committed a mistake in their late teens or 20s and have since turned their lives around. The Camden Democrat says the state needs those residents to be working and paying taxes.
Sheheen heard from representatives of law enforcement, crime victims and prosecutors to help his subcommittee tweak a bill the
House approved unanimously last year. He was the only senator to attend the meeting.
The amended bill will specify how long someone's record must be clear to qualify.
