February 29, 2024
Second Chance Occupational Licensing Reform in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, state law often prevents ex-offenders from working in occupations that require a license, even if they have served their time and the crime was nonviolent.
Nearly 3 million Pennsylvanians have a criminal record.
Over 18,000 Pennsylvanians are released from prison each year and reenter society.
65% of ex-offenders in Pennsylvania are arrested again in three years following their release, often because of a failure to reintegrate into society and find a job.
Recidivism costs Pennsylvania more than $359 million annually.
Former inmates who stay employed for one year post-release are 35% less likely to commit another crime compared to those who don't have a job.
Nearly 1 in 5 jobs in Pennsylvania requires a license.
States with more barriers to occupational licensing experienced a 9% increase in recidivism rates.
States with fewer barriers experienced a 2.5% decrease in recidivism rates.
Pennsylvania policymakers should support occupational licensing reforms that create a path for ex-offenders without a history of violent felonies or sexual offenses to earn a license, such as:
- Allow ex-offenders to petition a licensing board to see if they are disqualified from the license before they complete training, education, or exams.
- Provide denied applicants with a path to appeal a licensing board’s
- decision.
- Prevent licensing boards from denying a license to an ex-offender due to a crime committed many years ago for which the threat of recidivism is low.
- Block licensing boards from denying a license to an ex-offender based on their criminal records unless the crime is directly related to the occupation.
- Prevent licensing boards from denying a license to an applicant based on an arrest that did not lead to a conviction of a crime.