他们已经服刑期满，自获释以来表现良好，但支持者说，佐治亚州420万前重罪犯中的一些人仍被他们过去的行为所束缚。
根据非盈利组织佐治亚州司法项目的执行董事道格拉斯·阿马尔的说法，在大流行之前，该州的失业率约为3.4%，而在此期间，有犯罪记录的居民的失业率接近15%。
“我们一直遇到这个问题，它影响着整个社区，”阿马尔在二月份告诉美国广播公司新闻。"佐治亚州的每个人都知道有人被监禁，正在努力寻找住房或工作。"
上周，州领导一致通过一项法案，允许有非暴力犯罪记录的居民有权在行为良好后删除他们的记录，在此之后，一些格鲁吉亚人将得到缓刑。这“第二次机会”法案随着检察官、当选官员和公司推动变革，这一会议取得了势头。
来自佐治亚州司法项目的道格·阿马尔从左边对小组成员讲话;玛丽琳·温，妇女崛起执行主任;2020年2月11日，在亚特兰大举行的第二次机会活动中，迪克尔布县地方检察官雪莉·波士顿和亚特兰大护理中心执行主任约翰·希尔顿。埃里卡·柯蒂斯，佐治亚州司法项目
根据格鲁吉亚现行法律，不会导致未成年人被定罪和轻罪定罪的逮捕是唯一可以删除的罪行。“第二次机会”法案允许犯有非暴力罪行的前居民向法官提出请求，要求在多年表现良好后删除他们的记录。
根据该法案，被判犯有轻罪的人在被释放后至少要等三年才能要求法官删除他们的记录，而被判犯有重罪的人至少要等五年。
该立法免除了几项刑事指控，包括性犯罪、谋杀和绑架，并允许法官在决定驱逐前考虑几个因素，包括受害者的反对意见。
去年，众议员曼迪·巴林格(Mandi Ballinger)在佐治亚州众议院首次提出了这项立法，并在今年2月在各地区检察官办公室、监狱改革倡导者和其他团体的支持下再次提出。
Ballinger说她个人不认识任何和她关系密切的有犯罪记录的人。因为该州40%的人口被判过轻罪或重罪——这是全国最高的比率之一——每个人都感受到了影响。
“我听到许多人说，这种事发生在他们的兄弟身上，或者发生在他们的父亲身上，或者发生在他们的妻子身上，”二月份，巴林格告诉美国广播公司。“刑事定罪意味着你犯了一个错误。它不应该阻止你获得有报酬的工作。”
众议院司法非民事委员会主席众议员查克·埃弗劳特在2020年2月11日亚特兰大的第二次机会活动上发言。埃里卡·柯蒂斯，佐治亚州司法项目
格鲁吉亚预算政策研究所发现，以前被监禁的居民平均损失36，000美元的工资去年，这相当于浪费了26亿美元的购买力。根据佐治亚州司法项目，包括北卡罗莱纳州和阿肯色州在内的40个州都有犯罪记录删除计划。
佐治亚州参议院在三月份通过了该法案，但是由于冠状病毒的原因，它在议会的投票被搁置了。在此期间，倡导者和企业，如可口可乐和家得宝，推动州领导通过了该法案。
阿马尔在周一的一份声明中说:“我们已经召集了立法者、合作组织、雇主和全州直接受影响的人们，让这一努力成为现实。”。
共和党人Ballinger说，她在另一边的同事也支持这项措施。
“我们都喜欢这项法案的目标，那就是让人们重新站起来，”她说。
佐治亚州州长布赖恩·肯普的代表没有立即对该法案的通过发表评论。
Georgia lawmakers pass bill that gives non-violent former felons a chance to expunge records
They've done their time behind bars and been on good behavior since their release, but advocates say some of Georgia's 4.2 million former felons are still shackled by their past deeds.
While the state's unemployment rate was around 3.4% before the pandemic, the unemployment rate for residents with criminal records was close to 15% during that time, according to Douglas Ammar, the executive director of the nonprofit group the Georgia Justice Project.
"We've run into this issue all of the time and it's affecting whole communities," Ammar told ABC News in February. "Everyone in Georgia knows someone who was incarcerated and is struggling to find housing or a job."
Some of those Georgians are going to get a reprieve after state leaders unanimously approved a bill last week that would allow residents with non-violent criminal histories the right to expunge their record following good behavior. The"Second Chance" billgained momentum during this session as prosecutors, elected officials and companies pushed for the change.
Under Georgia's current law, arrests that don't lead to convictions and misdemeanor convictions for minors are the only crimes that can be expunged. The Second Chance bill allows former residents who committed non-violent crimes to send a request to a judge seeking to expunge their record after a certain number of years of good behavior.
People who were convicted of misdemeanors would have to wait at least three years after their release to request the judge to expunge their records, while those who were convicted of felonies would have to wait at least five years, according to the bill.
The legislation exempts several criminal charges including sex crimes, murder and kidnapping, and it allows judges to consider several factors, including victim objections, before deciding on expungement.
Rep. Mandi Ballinger first introduced the legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives last year and re-introduced it in February with the support of various district attorney offices, prison reform advocates and other groups.
Ballinger said she personally doesn't know anyone close to her that has a criminal record. Because 40% of the state's population has had a misdemeanor or felony conviction -- a rate that's among the highest in the nation -- everyone is feeling the effects.
"I've heard from many people who say it's happening to their brother or it's happening to their father or it's happening to their wife," Ballinger told ABC News in February. "Having a criminal conviction means you made a mistake. It shouldn't prohibit you from getting gainful employment."
The Georgia Budget Policy Institute found that formerly incarcerated residentslost on average $36,000 in wageslast year, which amounted to about $2.6 billion in wasted spending power. Forty states have a criminal record expungement program, including North Carolina and Arkansas, according to the Georgia Justice Project.
Georgia's state senate passed the bill in March but its vote in the assembly was tabled because of coronavirus. During that hiatus, advocates and businesses, such as Coca-Cola and Home Depot, pushed state leaders to pass the bill.
"We’ve brought together legislators, partner organizations, employers and directly affected people across the state to make this effort a reality," Ammar said in a statement Monday.
Ballinger, a Republican, said her colleagues on the other side of the aisle were on board with the measure.
"We all like the goal of the bill, which is to get people back on their feet," she said.
Representatives for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp didn't immediately comment about the bill's passage.
