Getting a DUI may seem like a terrible thing for many reasons. Of course, many people have a fear of the possibility of enormous fines or time in jail.
But the time after jail also poses a major problem. In fact, your life can change entirely in the aftermath of a DUI arrest, and jail is often just the beginning.
What do job prospects look like?
BACtrack takes a look at long-term DUI consequences. These are the consequences that last beyond the jail sentence, such as the impact of an arrest and jail time on a person’s employability.
First, it is highly likely that you will lose your current job due to your period in jail. An employer does not need to hold your spot for your jail sentence and will usually let an incarcerated employee go unless the duration of the jail time is very short.
Next, it may serve as a difficulty to find a new job. Many jobs do not hire people with DUIs on record for safety reasons. This can include government positions, jobs that work with children and any job that would require a commercial driver’s license.
Is housing harder to find?
Though it is illegal for landlords to discriminate solely based on the criminal record of a potential applicant, they can still take it into consideration when making choices. This means that if they have limited rooms available, you may get kicked out of the pool of competition sooner.
Likewise, it is often harder for someone with a DUI on record to settle into a new community if their record ends up found out by others. For these reasons, it is best to simply face a DUI charge seriously from the start.