Corri Williams completed probation for burglary five years ago, but the punishment didn’t seem to end there. Everything from finding a steady job to a place to live proved difficult after the conviction, said Williams, who eventually found a job as a volunteer coordinator at the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County. She said prospective employers were impressed with her credentials, including a master’s degree in criminal justice administration, but withdrew their offer after running a background check. “Even though you’re not getting in any trouble, because the charge is still there, they think you’re a liability,” Williams said. “It’s like ‘Oh, how do we know you’re not going to go back?’ And it’s been nine years for me.” Williams said she’s hopeful the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board will recommend her for a pardon later this year. From there, she could benefit from a new state law that aims to make expungement more accessible for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans.
Senate Bill 2030, which passed the Legislature with little opposition and was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt earlier this month, directs the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to launch a free online portal for expungement requests by November 1. By Nov. 1, 2027, the agency is supposed to have an automatic expungement system in place, with all eligible records being cleared by the end of 2029.
