Still, Looking?
Why Removing Barriers to Hiring and Supporting Returning Citizen Entrepreneurship is so Important
By FRRC Staff Member, Chasman Barnes
I recently asked a young man I’m mentoring if he has had any luck landing a place of work yet.
His reply struck me with both its simplicity and its profundity.
“Naw, still looking,” he said.
As we begin Second Chance Month, what he said and how he said it got me thinking about the countless returning citizens who have responded the same way to family members, spouses, or even children who ask about their employment search.
And they, too, answer, “Still looking.”
That’s the revolving cycle for many people with criminal backgrounds looking for work. Many returning citizens are unemployed — actively seeking work but unable to secure it.
In a 2018 article, the Prison Policy Initiative discussed the level of unemployment among formerly incarcerated people:
Formerly incarcerated people need stable jobs for the same reasons as everyone else: to support themselves and their loved ones, pursue life goals, and strengthen their communities. But how many formerly incarcerated people are able to find work? Answering this fundamental question has historically been difficult, because the necessary national data weren’t available — that is, until now.
Later in the article, the authors shared their findings:
We find that the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people is nearly five times higher than the unemployment rate for the general United States population, and substantially higher than even the worst years of the Great Depression. Although we have long known that labor market outcomes for people who have been to prison are poor, these results point to extensive economic exclusion that would certainly be the cause of great public concern if they were mirrored in the general population.
An unemployment rate five times higher than that of the general population, higher even than the unemployment rate during the worst years of The Great Depression. What?!
We at the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) understand that addressing this high unemployment rate among returning citizens benefits everyone.
When we remove barriers to work, we create more pathways for businesses to fill positions in key industries.
We save taxpayer money as more people can provide for their families and avoid re-incarceration.
We improve public safety. Returning citizens who find a job are significantly less likely to re-offend, and recidivism drops even more when they can find a job soon after release and their work is stable and skilled.
That’s why FRRC is fighting at the state level to remove barriers to occupational licenses for returning citizens, which is a requirement for nearly 30 percent of jobs in Florida. In 2015, our state ranked the fourth most burdensome state in the nation for its occupational licensing requirements.
While licensing requirements represent a burden in and of themselves, another issue is that only some jobseekers are eligible for them in the first place. With so many jobs requiring a license, people with past criminal records can be denied necessary licenses and the opportunity to secure or create sustainable employment for themselves simply because they have a record.
In particular, state licensing boards can deny people applying for a range of licenses if they have a conviction within the last five years — even if the conviction is unrelated to the occupation for which they seek a license. Applicants can also be denied in many cases if the licensing board determines that they do not have “good moral character,” a broad and subjective hurdle that could be applied in almost any case.
FRRC is supporting legislation at the state level that would make it so people applying for occupational licenses could only be denied based on a past criminal record if they have a conviction for an offense directly related to the occupation within the last three years and they cannot show rehabilitation.
Wouldn’t you agree that if an individual has the skill, training, and experience to do a particular job, they shouldn’t still be looking for employment?
Opportunities exist.
Job vacancies are real.
Businesses need skilled workers.
But Florida continues to make it hard for people with past felony convictions to reintegrate and not recidivate by continued barriers to occupational licensing and skilled jobs.
We can do better — and you can help. Contact your legislators in the Florida House and Senate and ask them to support House Bill 1443 and Senate Bill 1124, legislation that would improve public safety and the economy by removing barriers to occupational licensing.
Throughout Second Chance Month and the entire year, I want you to reflect and think about how one small gesture can make a difference. Whether you make a call to your legislator in favor of these bills or you are an employer that gives someone a second chance, every little bit counts.
About the author:
Chasman is a Policy Professional, Advocate for Returning Citizens in Criminal and Social Justice Reform, TEDx Speaker, and sought-after Communicator.
