[csense]

This is actually a problem with how US society works.

It's in society's best interests for someone in OP's position to become a productive member of society again. But if they're eternally refused employment, education, and passport due to the background check, how is someone supposed to recover their life after that?

The problem is cultural, we need to be more forgiving of peoples' past. As more and more of the population becomes more and more searchable, this sort of relaxation is inevitable. But social change takes time.

[yep_throwaway]

As someone who was convicted of a felony at age 19 and immediately turned his life around (yet still suffers the consequences), I wish more people felt the way that you do. Thank you.

[clicks]

Sadly, the opposite will happen. There's fierce competition for a lot of jobs and a pool of job seekers full to the brim, criminal records are becoming just another qualifier employers conveniently use for filtering purposes.