Lawmakers’ Hard Work Will Help Youthful Offenders Reach Their Full Potential

COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) commends Sens. Marlon E. Kimpson, Tom Davis, Karl Allen, Paul Thurmond, and Tom Corbin for their hard work in advancing Senate Bill 133 regarding expungement of juvenile records. The bill received second reading. Passage of this legislation is critical, because it positively impacts juveniles in South Carolina and their ability to work or continue their education.

The SCEA is committed to ensuring that youthful offenders are afforded the opportunity to clear their juvenile court records in order to reach their full potential in life. To that end, The SCEA has participated in a task force examining issues affecting juvenile expungements as part of its 2015 Legislative Agenda, building on the National Education Association’s (NEA) School-to-Prison Pipeline initiative.

The result of this task force was support for S.133, which is designed to provide expungements of juvenile records. This legislation will allow non-violent and status offenses to be expunged when the offenders reach age 17. Currently in South Carolina, youthful offenders must wait until the age of 18 to receive an expungement, which could impact their ability to apply to colleges or join the military.

“I am thankful to all of these gentlemen for taking this major step in giving our students a second chance,” said Bernadette R. Hampton, President of The SCEA. “Behavior that in the past might result to a trip to the principal’s office or a stern ‘talking to’ now sends students to court and sometimes even leads to incarceration. It is vital to consider the needs of the whole student and help them achieve their full potential. This legislation is a step towards doing that.”