People who commit a crime and are brought before a court to be
sentenced expect to face a prison term or at least probation, and
perhaps a fine. They may expect to experience a degree of social
opprobrium, the so‐called “stigma of conviction.” They surely
understand that having a criminal record is not career‐enhancing. But
they also probably think that at some point they will be able to pay
their debt to society and return to its good graces….But the
reality…is very different. For them, the so‐called “collateral”
consequences of conviction are numerous, severe, and very hard to
mitigate.
Volume 160 Issue 1 2011 Essay