Felony waiver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A felony waiver is special permission granted to a United States military recruit with a felony on their criminal record. Some crimes that are considered to be misdemeanors according to respective state law may be, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, considered felonies and thus would require a felony waiver. Occupations requiring high level security clearances are usually closed to individuals seeking felony waivers. They are increasingly being issued by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps to bolster forces that are strained by the demands of the ongoing war on terror. This is a more common practice today than in the past,[1] along with the usage of the stop-loss policy.
Former US Representative Henry Waxman of California served as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Upon releasing data focused on felony waivers, Waxman acknowledged public sentiment regarding the usage of felony waivers, stating that "Concerns have been raised that the significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the Iraq war and may be undermining military readiness."[citation needed]
United States military recruiting standards vary according to branch; however, most felonies are excluded from the felony waiver. A felony that occurs below the age of criminal responsibility is more likely to be waived; likelihood decreases if the felony occurred as an adult. According to the U.S. Army, "In either case it all comes down to the type of offense and how long ago it was."[2]
Waivers must be approved by an officer who is ranked as a brigadier general or above, and recruits must have written recommendations and endorsements from community leaders illustrating they would be a good candidate for military service.[3][4]