Missouri residents like you may face serious consequences if convicted of a felony. All states treat felonies as serious crimes and Missouri is no exception. But the impact of this conviction does not end after your sentence.

Unfortunately, a felony conviction can have long term consequences that last far after a sentence ends. Just what are these consequences, though?

The impact of a lengthy jail sentence

The Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission discusses the sentencing laws for felony crimes. First, the short term consequences already set you up for a difficult time later in life. Many felony convictions come with jail sentences that can last decades. The fines are also tens of thousands of dollars for some people.

What happens when you get taken out of society for decades? What happens when you lose your money to a fine, or go into debt over it? You struggle to reestablish yourself in the world after your release. You may not have the money to afford a nice place to live. You might struggle to keep up with peers when competing for jobs because you did not have a chance to gain experience.

Discrimination and loss of rights

On top of that, many felons struggle with discrimination in both housing and work. Though laws are in place with the intent to limit this discrimination, it still happens. It can still prevent you from gaining approval with your job or housing applications.

Your rights also suffer. You may lose the right to arms, the right to vote and the right to serve on a jury. You could also remain under supervised release or probation after your jail sentence ends. All said, it is a restrictive and demeaning way to live.