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What other consequences are there for a felony being on my record?
Things that can affect your life and future with a felony conviction:
- Incarceration
- Extended supervision (Mandatory Supervised Release)
- Firearms
- Hunting and fishing
- Voting rights
- Public office
- Eviction
- Professional licenses
- Adoption and Foster care
- Student loans and education assistance
- Employment issues
- Financial assistance issues
There are plenty of felony conviction consequences out there, some that go way beyond incarceration. It seems that even though you’ve paid you debt to society, you cannot seem to catch a break. While felony conviction consequences vary greatly, there are some basics that you should know about.
Generally, felony conviction consequences carry an incarceration term of one year or longer, but it’s not impossible to get less than a year of incarceration, in some fairly rare instances. The minimum standard is typically one year or greater. Keep in mind that the terms of incarceration can vary a lot. In fact, spending the rest of your life in prison is not impossible. The incredibly long sentence makes this one of the more severe felony conviction consequences out there.
Extended supervision (Mandatory Supervised Release):
Often called probation or parole, now termed Mandatory Supervised Release, extended supervision can last for years, limiting your freedoms. In fact, it can span decades, not just years in some cases. While on extended supervision, you may have a curfew, people you are not allowed contact with, and no drinking clauses. It’s one the more long lasting felony conviction consequences. Failure to follow the rules can land you back in prison.
Felony conviction consequences include the loss of the right to own a firearm. While this may not be a big deal to some, it is a completely legal and legitimate loss of constitutional rights. Felony conviction consequences can be severe enough for the loss of many other rights as well. Felons in possession of a firearm face more charges, which as you can likely guess, are typically felonies. The loss of the right to bear arms is one of the most severe felony conviction consequences out there.
You stand to lose many of your wildlife rights as felony conviction consequences, in some cases. Those that enjoy these types of activities will find this to be a severe punishment. This isn’t limited to the types of activities that include firearms. It can be one of the more sever felony conviction consequences for many people.
Generally speaking, you will lose the right to vote as one of the many felony conviction consequences. It is possible to have these rights restored, but it’s not always very easy. For many, losing the right to vote is among the most serious of felony conviction consequences. It’s one the more important rights as an American, but it’s lost as one of the felony conviction consequences you may end up facing. Voting rights would include Presidential elections, as well as your local elections, making this a very big deal for most. Your voice will not be heard in the vote.
While not one of the most severe felony conviction consequences to many, you will not be able to hold public office. This may not matter now, but you never know what the future may hold.
It’s true, you can be evicted as one of the many felony conviction consequences. If the crime you committed was deemed detrimental to public safety, welfare, or health, your landlord can evict you from your rental property. For many, this is one of the most severe felony conviction consequences. You may have trouble getting someone to rent you a place to live, and you could actually get evicted based solely on your record. While this may not always be legal in some cases, it’s the reality of the situation. Having difficulty finding a place to rent is among the more long lasting felony conviction consequences. The law does provide landlords the right to evict in some cases.
You may lose any professional certificates or licenses you have as one of the many felony conviction consequences. In addition, you may be barred from receiving them in the future. Teaching would be a great example of these types of felony conviction consequences. Don’t risk what you’ve worked hard to achieve. This can severely limit the types of work you can do in the future, making it one of the most serious felony conviction consequences out there.
This is one the more severe felony conviction consequences, and one that can really haunt you in the future. In most cases, you will not be able to adopt or have foster children. Many that turn their life around, and look to adopt or help out troubled kids find this one of the most severe felony conviction consequences there is. Those wishing to raise a family, but cannot have kids on their own will find this very severe punishment.
Student loans and education assistance:
You may be able to qualify for student loans or other forms of educational assistance as one of the felony conviction consequences. This makes it very difficult to get the education needed to land a good job down the road. For many, this makes getting ahead in life very difficult down the road. There are some programs that will allow you to get an education, but they aren’t always available.
Felony conviction consequences go beyond the law for many. You can expect a lot of trouble finding a decent job in the near future. It’s not impossible, but it certainly won’t be very easy for most. While there are certain laws on your side for this one, they are really quite hard to enforce. Not only are you limited to the types of work you can do, but the odds of getting hired don’t get better with felony conviction consequences. Even if it’s not legal in some cases, how will you prove they discriminated against you based solely on your record? It’s one the felony conviction consequences that keeps coming up.
In some cases, you may not be able to get food stamps or other forms of assistance needed to get you back on your feet. This is one of the more serious felony conviction consequences for those needed help getting back on their feet.
As you can see, there are many felony conviction consequences that go beyond your initial period of incarceration. While you will maintain several of your rights, there are plenty that will disappear. It’s important to know the facts and arm yourself with knowledge when looking into felony conviction consequences. Your future may rely on it.
Taken from Felony Conviction Consequences
To know more about your rights affected by the potential felony you face, contact Hall & Rustom.
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