近年来，我国犯罪结构发生变化，严重暴力犯罪逐渐减少，轻罪案件逐渐增多。目前，我国被判处3年有期徒刑以下刑罚的轻罪案件占总体案件的比重已达85%以上。加之我国不断新设轻罪罪名，将其纳入刑法之中，而每年新增犯罪人员数量不减反增，越来越多的人被标记为罪犯并因犯罪记录而受负面效应影响。罪犯数量日益增多，一方面会导致国家司法资源紧张，另一方面也使得大量罪犯刑满释放后，在就业、生活方面处处碰壁，难以顺利回归社会。对于犯罪人员的再社会化问题，我国目前大多聚焦于未成年人领域，例如公、检、法、司四部门于2022年出台法律文件，进一步规范了未成年人犯罪记录封存制度。而在成年人领域，大多学者着眼于彻底消除犯罪记录对犯罪人的不利影响，主张建立前科消灭制度。而本文的研究目的主要在于尽可能消除轻罪成年人因犯罪记录而在其本人或近亲属求学、就业等情形时所受限制，通过着重比较前科消灭与犯罪记录封存两种制度，主张在消除犯罪记录给轻罪案件犯罪人带来的不利影响方面，更宜采用犯罪记录封存制度，而非前科消灭制度，并为构建我国成年人轻罪案件犯罪记录封存制度提供具体可行的方案。

具体而言，本文第一章先论述选题背景及研究意义、目前国内外对于犯罪记录或前科的研究。接着，第二章通过论述犯罪记录封存与前科消灭的相关概念、意义，以及我国实施犯罪记录封存制度的实践经验，以准确把握二者内涵。第三章通过比较前科消灭和犯罪记录封存在我国当前司法状况下的功效及问题，借此提出论点：就目前我国实际情况而言，在消除轻罪犯罪记录给成年犯罪人带来的不利影响方面，当务之急不是采用前科消灭，而是推进犯罪记录封存制度的建设，并在此基础上不断完善该制度，促进全社会了解、支持该制度的落实，充分发挥好制度价值。此外，第四章通过分析美国在犯罪记录领域的相关制度，得出其对于我国建立轻罪案件犯罪记录封存制度的相关启示：建立国家统一犯罪记录平台、建立专门机构帮助犯罪人实现再就业等。最后，第五章通过论述适用对象、程序、封存内容、责任追究以及完善相关配套措施等，以期为我国构建轻罪案件犯罪记录封存制度提供参考。

In recent years, China's criminal structure has undergone changes, with the prevalence of serious violent crimes gradually declining and the number of minor offenses increasing.The present state of affairs sees over 85 percent of China's misdemeanor cases resulting in sentences of under three years' imprisonment being enforced.Moreover, in our country, there is an ongoing trend of introducing new, minor criminal charges into our criminal code. This has resulted in an increase in the number of individuals who are convicted of crimes each year. Consequently, more and more people are marked as criminals, their negative records following them throughout their lives and impacting them in a detrimental manner.As the number of criminals grows day by day, it not only leads to a shortage of judicial resources for the nation, but also causes a plethora of ex-convicts to hit roadblocks in terms of employment and daily life, making it difficult for them to smoothly reintegrate into society.Regarding the problem of reintegrating criminals into society, China currently focuses mostly on the realm of minors. For example, in 2022, the four departments of public security, procuratorate, court, and justice introduced legal documents to further standardize the sealing of criminal records in the area of minors. In the adult realm, however, most scholars concentrate on completely eliminating the adverse effects of criminal records on offenders and advocate for the establishment of a system for expunging criminal records.The main purpose of this article is to eliminate as much as possible the restrictions suffered by adult offenders of minor crimes with criminal records, particularly in terms of employment and education for themselves or their close relatives. By comparing the two systems of expunging criminal records and sealing them, this article advocates for the latter as the more appropriate approach for eliminating the negative effects of criminal records on those who have committed minor crimes. Furthermore, this article provides a feasible plan for establishing a system of sealing criminal records for adult offenders of minor crimes in China.

Specifically, the first chapter of this article discusses the background and research significance of the selected topic, as well as current research on criminal records or prior convictions both domestically and internationally. Following this, the second chapter examines the relevant concepts and significance of sealing criminal records and eliminating prior convictions, as well as practical experiences in implementing the system of sealing criminal records in China, in order to accurately grasp the meanings of these two aspects.Chapter three compares the effectiveness and problems of eliminating criminal records and sealing criminal records in the current judicial situation in China. Through this, the argument is presented that, given the current practical situation in China, the urgent task in eliminating the adverse effects of criminal records on adult petty criminals is not to establish a criminal record elimination system, but to promote the construction of a criminal record sealing system, and continuously improve the system to promote society's understanding and support for its implementation, fully leveraging its value. Additionally, Chapter Four analyzes the relevant systems in the United States in the field of criminal records, drawing inspiration for China to establish a sealing system for records of petty crime cases, such as creating a national unified criminal records platform and establishing specialized agencies to help criminals reintegrate into the workforce. Finally, Chapter Five discusses the applicable objects, procedures, contents of sealing, accountability, and the improvement of supporting measures, in order to provide a reference for constructing a sealing system for records of petty crime cases in China.