More on Collateral Consequences

Internal Exile: Collateral Consequences of Conviction in Federal Laws and Regulations, A Collaboration of the American Bar Association Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, January 2009. The Introduction says:

This study collects and describes the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction that arise under federal statutes and regulations. A joint project of the ABA Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions (Commission) and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), it is an outgrowth of both entities’ work on the effect of a criminal record on the availability of a wide range of benefits and opportunities, which in turn determines a person’s likely ability to rebuild his or her life after a criminal conviction. While the study is first and foremost a compilation, and its presentation primarily descriptive rather than analytical, we hope that it will serve as a useful tool for criminal justice practitioners (including defenders, judges, and prosecutors); for persons seeking information about the legal rights and responsibilities of people who have a conviction record; and for advocates, legislators, and policymakers in determining which collateral consequences are reasonable and appropriate responses to public safety concerns, and which are not and what can or should be done to avoid or mitigate them.

The study is almost 250 pages long so I’ve not had a chance to read it all yet. However, it does appear to be responsive to many of the questions a military client would have who is facing court-martial, or who has been convicted.

tip: NACDL.