I was arrested. Yes, I broke the law. No, I didn’t hurt anyone, steal anything, or endanger my community.

I had an expired license plate and a few tickets that I hadn’t paid. I had broken the law, but should those mistakes affect the rest of my life? Fortunately for me, they didn’t. For many who commit nonviolent crimes, however, being arrested and incarcerated does affect them for a very long time. Employers are less likely to hire someone after they have been incarcerated — making it harder for them to take care of themselves and leading to higher recidivism rates. This is a problem that can be solved.