'A fresh start': Alabama expungement law will wipe away some nonviolent convictions

Alabamians struggling to find work or move on with their lives because of crimes committed long ago could soon be eligible to have convictions wiped from their records.

Gov. Kay Ivey last week signed the Redeemer Act, which will allow people with some nonviolent convictions to apply for expungement after they meet certain conditions.

“It gives people a fresh start, a second chance,” said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, the sponsor of the legislation. She estimated that tens of thousands of Alabamians could become eligible to have their convictions wiped away. The law goes into effect in July.

“We’ve got to do our part to facilitate people being able to rehabilitate their lives,” she said. “In the past, people have not been able to do that because of the barriers of our law.”

Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2021/05/a-fresh-start-alabama-expungement-law-will-wipe-away-some-nonviolent-convictions.html