In today’s historically competitive rental market , it is challenging for almost anyone to find housing. But it is nearly impossible for those formerly incarcerated.
This is one of the more than 40,000 forms of collateral consequences that may pop up at some point in your life if a jury renders a guilty verdict against you, or you negotiate a plea with prosecutors.
Housing plays a vital role in economic mobility and stability, and a conviction is a massive obstacle to obtaining it. This is part of an informal national policy of life-long punishment of men and women who have already paid their debts to society.
I know firsthand about the lifetime punishments endured by those who have already served their time. At 18, I was sent to prison for dealing drugs in Milwaukee. In the 25 years since, I have built a very different life. I earned a degree from Princeton, opened a successful business, and maintained a stable home for my family. I became a landlord and president of Wisconsin’s largest apartment owner’s trade association.