According to the articles authors, the impact of a criminal conviction is greater than a number of days in prison or a number of dollars fined. Hundreds of federal, state, and local laws impose additional consequences on people convicted of crimes, many of which remain in effect far beyond any judicially-imposed sentence. Unlike incarceration and fines, however, these additional consequences are frequently unknown at the time of the criminal prosecution to attorneys, judges, and the individuals whose lives are so profoundly affected by them.

The goal of this article is to provide information about how a criminal conviction may affect the life of an accused person. The publication summarizes consequences that arise under Kentucky law and federal law, yet are not included in the sentence imposed by a judge in a criminal case. The scope of these consequences, according to the article's authors, demonstrates the major impacts on the affected individuals, and indirectly, upon their communities.

This publication was finalized in May 2013. Except for the new legislation included, effective July 25, 2013, subsequent changes to the law are not included.