Any criminal record can disable the ability of people to achieve work and a future that is productive. The USA has many problems in that respect. Not just in gay convictions, but, also people that have been found innocent still have quite a rap sheet in their background checks.
If countries, including the USA, want to eliminate recidivism in any crime it needs to change it's reporting. When prisoners have served their time, their background checks follow them. In the USA, it is called, "Ban the Box." But, less than half the states have that law.
In my opinion, efforts such as "Ban the Box" is still a superficial effort. New Zealand, in this instance, is legislating an application to end the record all together. In some states in the USA, a person can expunge their record at the age of 50, but, that only provides relief for a short time of a productive work life.
Better fixes need to be put in place to encourage a return to work and a future rather than being pulled back into old patterns and more crime.
9 February 2017
New Zealand (click here) has said it will move to quash historical convictions for consensual sex between men.
Justice Minister Amy Adams said an application process will be introduced and cases will be judged individually.
In 1986 when the Homosexual Law Reform Act was passed, sex between men above 16 years old was decriminalised.
But convictions for consensual sex between men prior to that still appear in criminal history checks and may have to be disclosed in job applications.
Ms Adams said the government intends to introduce legislation to implement the scheme in the coming months. About 1,000 people could be eligible to apply, according to New Zealand media reports....
