Criminal convictions in Ohio have many consequences. Court-imposed sentences, such as fines and incarceration, are the direct consequences familiar to many people.

Not so familiar are the indirect, or "collateral," side-effects of a criminal conviction. These are laws that impose extra burdens and restrictions on people with criminal records, often long after the court-imposed sentence is over. For someone with a criminal record, the laws can restrict access to jobs, housing, education, and other aspects of daily life that most people take for granted. They function as legal barriers, excluding people with criminal records from full participation in their communities.

In Ohio legal terms, these side-effects are called collateral consequences of conviction, or sometimes collateral sanctions.

This website provides an online database and search tools for anyone who wants to learn more about the collateral consequences of conviction in Ohio.