People in South Carolina who have been arrested for and charged with criminal offenses might understandably be concerned about how this experience may impact their future. In addition to the possibility of having to spend time in jail, a criminal conviction on their record might make it hard to get a new job, even for a minor offense. Background checks are routinely conducted by a large percentage of employers, leaving job seekers with criminal pasts wondering how they can move forward.
WBTW.com provided details on a new law that took effect earlier this year that offers help to some people by allowing their records to be completely expunged. This means the record of a particular conviction would not appear on any pre-employment background check. Some of the people helped by this had records from their juvenile years and others could have first offenses removed. If a person with a felony drug conviction had no subsequent felony offenses for two decades, they may also be able to seek an expungement.
More recently, The Post and Courier reported on how the strong job market in South Carolina might provide new opportunities for people who have criminal records that are not able to be expunged.
In general, the state is experiencing a low level of unemployment which is seeing many employers be more willing to consider and to hire people with criminal backgrounds. This is being seen especially in the hospitality industry but also in truck driving, construction, maintenance, welding and other sectors.