My name is Stephanie Smith, I am 49 years old I am married, we have six grown children and six grandchildren have increased to ten. My life has not been perfect I have made mistakes I am human and 2004 I committed a felony for forgery. I had always heard that telling the truth was the best route to go so I did as I taught and told them truth and got my nine months state jail time, and spent that nine months at Dawson State Jail in Dallas Texas. Since my release in 2005, I have committed no other crimes and have no intention on doing so. I enjoy my family. And would not risk losing them for anything in the world.

Since my release and 2005 I worked for Subway for many years, helped care for a friend who died from cancer, I went to school and got my bachelor's degree in child development, with honors. I then return back to school to earn my master's degree and education specializing and family and Community Services and graduated with a GPA of 3.92. Accomplishing this all while helping my husband run a welding business. I am currently a graduate student at Tarleton State University, majoring in Criminal Justice, have taken time off before I fishen.

Texas has one of the highest recidivism rates in our nation the reason for that is it we don't rehabilitate offenders so when they are released it is very hard for them to get a job especially if you have a past.

I can send in resumes all day long and get called in for an interview, all goes well until they ask have you ever committed a felony. I was taught to always tell the truth so I do I admit my mistakes and I apologize for them but even after 14 years of not committing any other crimes, going to school, and rehabilitating myself I cannot get a job doing what I want to do. I want  to show inmates that they can change.

I want to help reform the juvenile system. I want to motivate and inspire others.  I’m a community volunteer and advocate for the American Diabetes Association, am a member of Gamma Beta Phi National Honor society at Tarleton State University. I volunteer in my community and at the university whenever I can.

Because I pled guilty to my charge I can't get it expunged and that felony charge will follow me the rest of my life.

Like many other felons who have committed nonviolent crimes and have rehabilitated themselves we are stuck in a loop hole due to the fact that no matter how old that felony is No One Believes in second chances.

If we could get our records  sealed after 10 years, proof of Rehabilitation, and proof that we have stayed away from the law then we should have the right to have are dreams come true.

The rules to obtaining that goal of sealing your record are:

You cannot have committed any other crime in 10 years.

Your felony could not be a violent one including domestic violence, aggravated robbery, injury to a child, or any drug convictions. This legislation that I'm trying to get past it's not a free-for-all. There will be boundaries, there will be stipulations and they will be followed. 

 What about that second chance? I did everything asked of me, and much more, to change for the better. I served my time, never committed another crime, and have taken every opportunity to give back to society. In fact, I want to use my hard-earned education to become an advocate for youth in need, but my felony record has been deemed a “conflict of interest.” We need to send the message to reformed ex-offenders that there is hope for redemption, and their past wrongdoing won’t follow them to the grave. If we can get this legislation passed many of us would not need government assistance to put food on our table to feed our families. My ultimate goal is to work in the capital with legislation to make things better for all Texans.

Please join me in calling on Texas lawmakers to seal the criminal records of nonviolent offenders after ten years or at least put into place a NON-DISCLOSER law in effect, so we can have a real second chance. In Texas, ex-offenders regain certain rights five years after release, like voting and possessing a firearm. Yet, we still can’t get quality jobs to put food on our table and help us save for our families’ future. In my experience, even with corporations that claim not to be “anti-offender,” biases creep in once they do a routine background check and see that prior conviction. Unless the record is sealed or we have a non-discloser law, we will continue to be discriminated against in the workplace, and our dreams of a better life will remain on hold. I’m not asking for an across-the-board erasing of records for all ex-offenders. This is only for nonviolent offenders who were convicted of non-drug-related offenses. They cannot have committed any other crime since their release, and they must be able to provide proof of their reform. This is not a free-for-all for former criminals, and it will not make the workplace any less safe. This is merely a good-faith show of support for the American dream. I’m anxious to help reform how our juvenile offenders are treated, and to build better community resources for all children to teach them responsibility, so that they don’t make the same mistakes I did. Please help me help them.

Please help me urge Texas lawmakers to seal the criminal records of reformed, nonviolent offenders after ten years, so they can have a chance at a new life.   Thank you!!! Stephanie Smith