“Today, Rhode Island’s House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from directly impacted Rhode Islanders on how barriers to occupational licensing that have resulted from a conviction impact their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Together, the testimonies tell a broader story of systemic exclusion – bringing the urgency of inclusion into sharp focus. Legislators have the opportunity to center the human dignity of people who are ready to work. Workers impacted by conviction records and eager to move forward must be afforded equal opportunity to work with dignity.
Currently, Rhode Island has over 150 occupational licensing restrictions that bar people with a conviction record from entering meaningful careers. People are often excluded for convictions unrelated to the license they seek; for ambiguous clauses regarding “good moral character;” and sometimes people are even excluded for convictions that are twenty years old. Nearly one in three working age adults has a record; nearly one in three jobs require an occupational license, and in Rhode Island 70 percent of the occupations that require a license are classified as “lower-income” jobs that people with records could expect to obtain. If Rhode Islanders are to build healthy communities, people need access to meaningful employment with a living wage.
House Bill 5863 is not just critical to the economic stability of people, families, and communities that have been most harmed by mass criminalization; it is also a racial justice imperative for the state. Black Rhode Islanders are incarcerated at a rate more than 6 times that of their white counterparts, while making up just over 5 percent of the population. Rhode Island must address the structural racism driven by systems of economic inequality and mass criminalization in the state.
Legislators must seek to pass this legislation that challenges structural inequities, provides more opportunity, and creates a path toward a #WORKINGfuture for all. JustLeadershipUSA and our campaign for a #WORKINGfuture strongly urge the enactment of House Bill 5863.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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