I've Got a Secret Criminal Past

July 24, 2007— -- A controversial bill working its way through the Ohio Legislature would help state residents with multiple felony convictions hide their criminal records from prospective employers.

Opponents said the initiative is unfair to employers, who fear they would not have all necessary information when making hiring decisions. But supporters of the proposed "second chances'' bill said it would stem recidivism rates and help those who have shown they can live law-abiding lives find work beyond minimum wage jobs. Prospective applicants must go five years without being arrested before they are eligible to have their records sealed.

People who are convicted of the worst felonies -- class one or two -- will not be eligible for the proposed program, and the bill includes a list of crimes that would automatically disqualify candidates, including murder, kidnapping, abduction and sex crimes.

Police, public school districts, health care agencies and some government institutions would always have access to the documents, regardless of whether ex-offenders' attempts to have them sealed succeed or not. Journalists, employers and the rest of the public wouldn't be able to view them.

The process would require a judge to review an applicant's record following a recommendation from a prosecutor before making a final decision.

The bill is designed to help people like Susan, an Ohio woman who spoke to ABC News on the condition that her last name not be used.

Susan was a human resources executive for a major corporation before she pleaded guilty in 2000 to 43 felony counts related to prescription drug abuse after she acknowledged writing herself hundreds of prescriptions for Adderall and other medications. Facing a lengthy prison sentence, she agreed to a plea bargain that spared her from incarceration.

Susan got court-ordered treatment for her addiction, and after spending the three years of her probation going to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and receiving chemical dependency counseling, she said she looked forward to re-entering the work force.