Mark Wahlberg Has a Problem, and He's Not the Only One

Marsha Levick, Deputy Director & Chief Counsel,

The following is an excerpt from a joint post on the Huffington Post Blog by Marsha Levick, Juvenile Law Center Deputy Director & Chief Counsel, and Scott Budnick, Film producer and Founder, The Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC).


Mark Wahlberg has a major problem stemming from his days as a minor. Now 43, he is asking Massachusetts' Governor Deval Patrick for a pardon for assaults committed as a troubled 16 year-old in Boston. "It would be formal recognition that someone like me can receive official public redemption if he devotes himself to personal improvement and a life of good works," said Wahlberg in an interview.

His crime was violent, and he left at least one victim seriously injured. Like Wahlberg, millions of youth are arrested each year in the United States. Unlike Wahlberg, most of them (95 percent) commit non-violent offenses. Yet 100 percent of these youth (including Wahlberg) face the same problem -- a paper trail of court documents that closes doors, reduces opportunities, and haunts them forever.

Read more on The Huffington Post Blog >>

 

Image credit, this page: "Mark Wahlberg" by Eva Rinaldi, licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0.

Image credit, homepage: "I Want a Second Chance" by Alyssa L. Miller, licensed under CC 2.0.

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