• Many felony convictions can be vacated in the state of Washington, restoring an offender's civil rights.man against wall in prison image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
  
  The purpose of the criminal justice system is to rehabilitate as well as punish those who break the law. In keeping with the goal of rehabilitation, Washington state law gives offenders of certain types of crimes, even those convicted of some felonies, an opportunity to have their civil rights restored.
  
  

Voting Rights

• A convicted felon can have his right to vote restored.vote america image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  A felon’s right to vote can be restored in Washington when he is no longer incarcerated or in community custody for the felony for which he was convicted. The same rule applies if the felony conviction was obtained in a different state. A released felon who is required to make restitution or pay fines can have his voting rights suspended if he fails to make 3 payments in a 12-month period.
  
  

Gun Rights

• The only way a convicted felon can legally own a gun is if he receives a presidential pardonpneumatic gun image by odze from Fotolia.com
  
  If a citizen is convicted on a felony charge, whether by pleading guilty or being found guilty in a court of law, he no longer has a right to own or operate a handgun. This is true even after the offender is released from prison. However, if the President of the United States grants a convicted felon a full pardon, the offender’s right to own a gun, along with all other civil rights, is restored.
  
  

Restoration of Civil Rights

• Applications for restoration of civil rights are submitted to the Governor of the State of Washingtonwashington map and flag image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  A convicted felon can apply for a restoration of rights from the Governor of the State of Washington after one year has lapsed since the termination of incarceration and/or probation. The application must include the petitioner’s name, address, telephone number and current employer and the date the petitioner completed his probation, supervised release or parole. It must also state the circumstances of the offense, the court where the conviction was filed and the “Notice of Discharge” from parole. The petitioner must also include contact information for his parole officer and letters of recommendation from an employer or other interested parties.
  
  

Criminal Record

• Certain felonies can never be expunged from a criminal recordno image by hugy from Fotolia.com
  
  In Washington, vacating a conviction removes it from the reportable record. For all purposes, including responding to questions on a job application, the offender may answer that he has never been convicted of the crime that has been vacated. However, the offender’s criminal record is not expunged and the conviction can still be used in any subsequent prosecutions for which the conviction is an element of a crime. Class A felonies can never be vacated. Felonies that are classified as "violent offenses" (manslaughter, kidnapping, arson, assault and extortion) and “crimes against persons” (child abuse, neglect or abandonment, malicious harassment, burglary in the first degree and murder) also cannot be vacated. A Class B felony is not eligible to be vacated until 10 years after the offender’s release and a Class C felony until 5 years have lapsed.