At the Law Office of Rob McKinney in Tennessee, we know the many negative impacts a felony conviction can have on your life. We, therefore, thought we should give you an overview of what life can be like for a convicted felon before you make an unwise decision that could consign you to living such a life.
As HelpForFelons.com explains, a felony record negatively impacts virtually every aspect of your life, including the following:
- Where you can live
- Where you can work
- Where you can travel
- Who you can choose as your friends
- If and to what extent you can exercise your constitutional right to vote
Housing
Landlords cannot have a discriminatory blanket policy against allowing a felon to rent one of their homes or apartments. Nevertheless, the property belongs to them and they, therefore, want to protect its value to the greatest extent possible. They likewise do not want to have problems with or complaints from other tenants or neighboring residents. Rightly or wrongly, this makes it very difficult for you to find favorable living quarters if you have a felony record. In addition, depending on the nature of the felony for which you received a conviction, some properties may be completely off limits for you. For instance, if your felony conviction had to do with child abuse or predatory action, you likely cannot live within a specified number of feet from a school, church, daycare center, playground, etc.
Employment
Most employers likewise cannot have a blanket policy against hiring a felon. On the other hand, again depending on the nature of the felony for which you received a conviction, you may find yourself barred from working at one or more of the following places:
- A gun and firearms shop
- A school or daycare center
- A transportation company that requires you to have a commercial driver’s license
- A store catering to children
- A bank or other financial institution
Other “collateral damage”
Most felons cannot obtain a passport and so cannot travel out of the country. You likewise may not be allowed to vote in your local, state or federal elections. You may be precluded from owning or possessing guns and other weapons. You may be unable to obtain a credit card, or if you get one, you undoubtedly will pay a higher rate of interest. In addition, if you are on probation or parole, you may not be able to live, work or travel anywhere beyond your specific county. Nor may you be allowed to associate with other felons or persons suspected of drug dealing, etc.
For more information, please visit this page of our website.