A new provision that went into effect this week is aimed at giving non-violent offenders a second chance in life without the stigma of a conviction.

The provision, which falls under the Raise the Age Law, allows eligible individuals to petition the court to seal up to two misdemeanor convictions. In order to be eligible for the record-sealing program, a person must have no convictions on their record for at least 10 years and have no charges pending.

The hope is to remove the stigma that comes along with a non-violent criminal conviction for those who have turned their lives around.

Anyone convicted of sex crimes, murder or manslaughter is excluded from having any records sealed.