Rhode Island General Laws Title 13. Criminals--Correctional Institutions § 13-8.2-1. Certificate of recovery & re-entry established--Findings of the general assembly and purposes

There is hereby established a certificate of recovery & re-entry for individuals that are convicted of a crime in which their legal status and ability to seek and maintain employment changes forever. A criminal record may prohibit individuals from successfully obtaining jobs, occupational licenses, housing and other benefits and opportunities available to all other individuals. These restrictions are often narrowly tailored and serve to protect society against an unidentified public safety risk, but others are arbitrary, unnecessary and without regard to any post-conviction rehabilitation or recovery & re-entry. Individuals who have successfully completed their board-imposed sentences need to be able to reestablish themselves as law-abiding members of society. At the same time, employers and other decision-makers need to have some reassurance of a person's reliability. Therefore, the intent and purpose of this chapter is to provide a process that would, in select and appropriate cases, allow the issuance of a certificate of recovery & re-entry. Said certificate, if granted by the parole board, would serve to relieve the petitioner, in appropriate cases, of some of the collateral consequences resulting from his or her criminal record. Said certificate shall serve as one determining factor as to whether the petitioner has been successful in his or her rehabilitation.