🔓 Wegweiser People with a criminal record

Clear information on your rights in prison, preparing for release, probation and the certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis), and on housing, work and money after release – with pointers to advice centres if your case differs from the usual one.

How this page works. At the top you can search all topics by keyword. Each topic page begins with the section In brief in plain language. Below it you will find the most important deadlines, typical mistakes and an expandable specialist section "In depth" for advisory work, with legal bases.

Prison law is a matter for the federal states: many rules differ between the 16 states. Where this is the case, the topic pages state it explicitly as "differs by state". As of September 2026 – for details and sources see Sources and methodology.

Frequently searched

📄 Certificate of good conduct: what employers may see 🏠 Housing after release 📋 Release preparation: sentence plan and transition management ⚖️ Suspended sentence on probation 💶 Basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld) after release 💼 Work after release: disclosure and the right to ask 📉 Debts after release 📞 Advice and points of contact

All topic areas

🧭Overview and basicsIntroduction: prison law is a matter for the federal states – what applies nationwide and what does not.1 topic 📨Rights in prisonMail, visits, complaints, prison advisory board, contact with children and family.2 topics 🔓Prison regime and releaseSentence plan, transition management, relaxations of custody and open prison.2 topics ⚖️Probation and recordsSuspended sentence on probation, certificate of good conduct, deletion from the Federal Central Criminal Register.3 topics 🏠Housing, work and money after releaseLooking for housing and work, basic income support and debts after release.4 topics 🌱Making amends and addictionVictim-offender mediation and dealing with addiction.2 topics 📞Advice and points of contactProbation service, independent support for offenders and professional associations.1 topic

🧭 Overview and basics

Introduction: prison law is a matter for the federal states – what applies nationwide and what does not.

🧭Rights and duties in prison – the overviewPrison law is a matter for the federal states: your rights in prison depend mainly on the prison act of your federal state, not on a single federal law.

📨 Rights in prison

Mail, visits, complaints, prison advisory board, contact with children and family.

📨Rights in prison: mail, visits, complaintsYou have rights in prison too – with restrictions provided for by law and a separate legal route with deadlines. 👨‍👩‍👧Family and contact during prisonParental custody and the right of contact generally continue during prison – contact with children has to be actively organised.

🔓 Prison regime and release

Sentence plan, transition management, relaxations of custody and open prison.

📋Release preparation: sentence plan and transition managementThe sentence plan and timely transition management help determine whether the start after prison succeeds. 🔓Open prison and relaxations of custodyDay release, leave and open prison are meant to make the return to a life without crime easier – the precondition is always a prognosis without risk of absconding or abuse.

⚖️ Probation and records

Suspended sentence on probation, certificate of good conduct, deletion from the Federal Central Criminal Register.

⚖️Suspended sentence on probationA prison sentence can be suspended on probation from the outset or after part of the sentence has been served – with conditions, instructions and usually probation support. 📄Certificate of good conduct: what employers may seeNot every conviction appears in the certificate of good conduct – a lot depends on the sentence, the type of offence and which type of certificate is requested at all. 🗂️Criminal record and deletionConvictions are not stored forever – after statutory deletion periods expire, they may generally no longer be used.

🏠 Housing, work and money after release

Looking for housing and work, basic income support and debts after release.

🏠Housing after releaseA fresh start is hard without a home of your own – those who deal with it in good time can use Jobcenter support and transitional housing. 💼Work after release: disclosure and the right to askA previous conviction does not always have to be disclosed in a job interview – what matters is whether it is relevant to the specific job. 💶Basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld) after releaseDuring prison there is, as a rule, no entitlement to basic income support – but you can file the application before release. 📉Debts after releaseMany people come out of prison with debts – debt counselling and personal insolvency are meant to ensure the fresh start is not burdened straight away.

🌱 Making amends and addiction

Victim-offender mediation and dealing with addiction.

🤝Victim-offender mediation and making amendsMaking amends to the victim can reduce the sentence – victim-offender mediation is voluntary for both sides and is not a way of buying off guilt. 💊Addiction during and after prisonAddiction and offending are often linked – "therapy instead of punishment" and addiction counselling in prison open routes out of the cycle.

📞 Advice and points of contact

Probation service, independent support for offenders and professional associations.

📞Advice and points of contactProbation service, independent offender support and professional associations: who is responsible for what when you need support during or after prison?

For reference

📕Keyword indexAll terms from A to Z, with links to the matching topic pages. 📜Sources and methodWhere the information comes from and what is expressly uncertain. 🏠Other target groupsTo the overview of all Wegweiser portals.

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.