“After I was arrested, I began
attending Narcotics Anonymous. I
have not used methamphetamine or
any other drug or alcohol since the
arrest. I attend NA twice weekly and
communicate regularly with my
sponsor. I enrolled in nursing school
to pursue my dream of becoming a
nurse, and my GPA average is 3.4. I have maintained the same job for three years without any
negative incident.”
Good Written Statement #2
“From January 1, 1979, to March 12, 1992, I was a heavy drinker. Unfortunately, because of my
alcoholism, I often blacked out. I don’t remember a lot of
the charges that occurred during that time. I’m not saying
that they didn’t happen, but I just don’t remember them
because of my alcohol abuse. I understand from my
record that I was involved in domestic violence. I’m sure
that’s true. When I drank, I became violent, and my wife—
now my ex-wife—often suffered the consequences.
“On March 12, 1992, my father, who was also an
alcoholic, died of liver cirrhosis. That was a wake-up call
for me because I saw where I was heading. I checked into
a rehab facility and spent 30 days in the inpatient clinic. I
moved to a halfway house for six months. Even today, I
attend Alcoholics Anonymous at least three times a week. You’ll see that once I stopped drinking, I
no longer committed offenses. I’m proud of the improvements I’ve made in my life since I quit
drinking. Although I lost my wife through divorce, we’ve become friends.”
Two Examples of Bad Written Statements
#1. “This charge occurred
22 years ago. I don’t
remember that far back. I
was cleared for a nursing
license, and I don’t
understand why I have to
go through this process.”
#2. “I was having
difficulties with my
husband at the time. We
were fighting a lot. I got
mad at him one night, and
I did something that I regret. The police were called, and I was arrested.”
This is a good statement because the applicant explains, in detail, what she
did and why she did it. She also explains how she addressed the drug
addiction that was the root of her criminal behavior. Finally, she pointed out
that she has a good grade-point average and steady employment, which
she probably wouldn’t have if she still were using drugs.
This statement is good, given that the applicant
suffered blackouts and couldn’t remember the
charges. But be careful: the Board is skeptical
when applicants claim they don’t remember
criminal charges. See the examples of bad
written statements.
This statement is also good because the
applicant describes what changes he made in
his life since the most recent charge.
Statement #1 is bad because the applicant claims that she can’t remember the charge.
The Board believes that a criminal charge is a significant event in a person’s life—one that
the person should remember, even if it was a long time ago. It’s almost always a bad idea
to claim that you can’t remember a charge. If you do make that claim, you should explain
why you can’t remember. Also, by state law, you have the burden of proof that you’re
rehabilitated. So if you don’t give enough information, the Board won’t have a basis for
granting your application.
Statement #2 is bad because it doesn’t explain what happened. Basically, it just says that
she “did something.” But what did she do? The more detail you provide, the less likely it is
that the Board’s investigator will write to ask you for more information.
