Military Service Could Give Felons Chance for Clean Slate
By Amanda Vinicky
Felons who serve in the military may get an opportunity to have their criminal records wiped clean under a measure approved by the Illinois House.
The Illinois legislature debates a lot of measures intended to give criminals a second chance, but they are usually introduced by Democrats from Chicago.
However, this time Mike Bost, a Republican from Murphysboro, is behind the effort. Long before he was a State Representative, Bost was a Marine.
"I was an electronic specialist,” Bost said. “Repaired radars that deal with tactical air control units. And two of the guys that worked there with me were there because a judge said, son, you got two choices and neither one's in my county."
Bost said one of the people working with him was from South Florida. He said the man told him about how he was once arrested for poaching alligators, and wound up in the county jail.
Bost said that was back when criminals could go into the military to avoid serving time in prison. Now, the Republican proposes a sort of reverse.
If a felon gets out of prison, is accepted into the military, and receives an honorable discharge, Bost proposes making that felon eligible to get his criminal record expunged.
He said if someone is willing to put his life on the line to serve his country, it is a sign h ha's turned his life around.
This measure got a mix of Republican and Democratic support in the Illinois House, and won approval on a 67-to-41 vote. It now heads to the Senate.
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Comments:
Jim Holder said on March 29, 2013:
Felons cant enlist in the military. Especially right now. I got in trouble back in 2011 for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. I was in college and was 3 months away from obtaining my associates degree with honors. Never been in any kind of trouble except for this incident. Yes, I made a bad choice, but who doesnt? I was 22 years old and was planning to join the Air Force. Got in trouble and talked to all the branches of the military. Only one recruiter who was from the Navy listened to me. He told me he has been in the military for 18 years and before he enlisted he was in the same situation as me. He said he got in trouble for marijuana as well at a young age and talked to a recruiter and the recruiter helped him by letting him enlist in the military after convincing the officer to grant him a waiver. He told me it changed his life and he wanted to do the same for me. The Navy recruiter went with me to court to talk to the prosecutor to see if she would drop the charges in demand of letting me enlist in the military. I had recommendations from officers who were in the military as well since my father and grandfather were marine and navy officers as well and grandfather who is now retired CIA. The prosecutor had no intention of giving me a second chance and didnt even want to hear what the recruiter had to say. She prosecuted me and the judge so called gave me a second chance by withholding adjudication which in state law means that I wasnt convicted so as long as I completed my probation and payed court fees that I would not be a convicted felon. I did that with no problems. The problem is that under Federal law it doesnt recognize withhold of adjudication so under federal law I am a convicted felon. Today I can’t enlist in the military and the recruiter said that he was sorry that he couldnt help me and knew that I learned my lesson but it wasnt up to him to let me enlist, it was his commanding officer which said, “Hell no.” Today I cant even get a job at a Tom Thumb gas station because of my adjudicated withheld felony. I am just destined to hard labor around other old rough neck felons who like to cuss you out all day and just give you a hard time. I just want a second chance at a better life. I made a bad choice and have learned from it. I am not going to give up and if the military is ever willing to give me that chance I would jump on the first bus or plane that heads to boot camp. I wouldnt even think twice and would give 110 percent and would like to make it a career. My dreams are crushed and even though I will never give up, sometimes I wonder if life is ever worth living now. I rather die for something than live for nothing.