More Than The Mugshot Website Allows Those with Arrest Records to Tell Their Side of the Story

​​​​​​​​​​The website More Than The Mugshot was recently launched giving those with an arrest record an opportunity to post positive information about how their cases ended after the arrest. For those who have been arrested, they often find that their mugshot is spread across several websites, giving them an unfair disadvantage in securing housing, a loan, and even finding employment. More Than The Mugshot provides positive reputation management through a forum for these individuals to tell their side of the story.

An article from the Brennan Center for Justice New York University Law School noted that the United States has just as many people with a past criminal record as it does with people with four-year college degrees. Nearly one in four people have an arrest record but that has not necessarily lead to a conviction in the criminal justice system but that doesn’t stop the mugshot taken at the time of the arrest from being published on state and local mugshot websites and the local news stations mugshot sites. There are more than 70 mugshot websites and newspapers and the list continues to grow.  The only way for it to be removed is for the individual to pay each site for its removal. Many times once the fee is paid, the mugshot appears on other sites making it impossible and affordable to remove them all.

An arrest record can negatively impact a person’s ability to obtain employment, get a loan, or secure housing. The Brennan Center notes that a 2012 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, found that 86 percent of employers use criminal background checks on at least some candidates, with the 69 percent checking all candidates. Most employers have a criminal background section on their application and ask Yes or No if you have been convicted of a felony.  Currently there are over 25 states and over 150 cities and counties that have passed legislation known as  "ban the box" so applicants will be considered on their qualifications first according to an article with NELP.org.  A number of extenuating circumstances can affect the outcome, but as the Department of Justice found in a 2009 study, a past criminal conviction of any kind reduced the likelihood of a job offer by 50 percent.

Those who have been arrested can utilize More Than The Mugshot to manage and begin repairing their reputations. They can post a current photo, arrest details and how their case ended along with a place to upload supporting documentation. For a one-time fee of $39.99, an individual can create their profile and share it with landlords, banks, potential employers, and more. 

“We are providing these individuals a second chance and an opportunity to counterbalance the negative image that is being created by having their mugshot online,” says Angie Poston, CEO of More Than The Mugshot. “Individuals can show how their case was dismissed, their sentence reduced, community service has been completed, or they have served their time and are ready to move forward by leading a productive life. Everyone with an arrest would love to have their mugshot removed from the internet but since mugshots are considered public information getting a mugshot removed is extremely difficult." 

For more about the website and to create an online profile, visit MoreThanTheMugshot.com

About More Than The Mugshot

The More Than The Mugshot website was created to give arrested individuals a forum for positive information sharing and for others to view how their arrest was adjudicated. For more information, visit MoreThanTheMugshot.com