>>>I take a lot of heat at work for believing that once you serve your time, you have paid your debt to society and you should have your full Constitutional rights restored.<<<
I think that laws like a criminal registry are actually a punishment. So this is an ex post facto law/punishment. And I agree that you should be able to serve your time and go about your business. I think half of all first time offenders get scared straight. Seems like a vindictive thing to do to millions of men who are now responsible and law abiding.
“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws.”
— Ayn Rand, “Atlas Shrugged”
Exactly. What hope does a person have if he/she knows they will never be a full member of society even after they have served their time. Granted, you will not stop all recidivism, but I think restoration of rights would go along way toward that goal.
The counterargument is, if a stockbroker was soliciting your business, wouldn't you want to know if he had a criminal record for securities fraud?