To add to the Australian landscape in this discussion:
- only convictions are assessed against, not arrests.
- only relevant convictions are assessed against.
- most states expunge convictions after a certain number of years. Those convictions will not ever be considered in any job application ever, nor any court case. There are some small number of exceptions.
- your record is as tightly held as a state secret.
- there is no third party access to records beyond police and courts.
- there are no for-profit prisons with quotas. I don't believe there are many, if any, for profit prisons at all. They are looked down upon.
- the judiciary is well educated, career accomplished, is not voted in, and has an expectation of continued professional development.
- the judiciary tends to be more progressive than politicians, focusing on interventions and improvement rather than incarceration, where appropriate and possible.
- only relevant convictions are assessed against.
- most states expunge convictions after a certain number of years. Those convictions will not ever be considered in any job application ever, nor any court case. There are some small number of exceptions.
- your record is as tightly held as a state secret.
- there is no third party access to records beyond police and courts.
- there are no for-profit prisons with quotas. I don't believe there are many, if any, for profit prisons at all. They are looked down upon.
- the judiciary is well educated, career accomplished, is not voted in, and has an expectation of continued professional development.
- the judiciary tends to be more progressive than politicians, focusing on interventions and improvement rather than incarceration, where appropriate and possible.