Qualified But Denied: Access to Employment for Justice-Impacted New Yorkers

Qualified But Denied: How Policy Change Can Expand Access to Employment for Justice-Impacted New Yorkers
In the U.S., tens of thousands of laws restrict access to work for people with convictions. New York State has nearly 500 laws and regulations restricting employment opportunities for people with criminal convictions. Often, these restrictions are one-size-fits-all, without regard to the nature of the conviction and whether it relates-or not-to a specific job’s requirements. In this webinar, the Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI) and government and nonprofit partners will discuss the impact of occupational licensing restrictions on justice-impacted individuals. CJEI will present its new brief on this issue: Updating New York State’s Employment Restrictions for People with Criminal Convictions. It will also engage with practitioners who have worked to implement reforms. Learn about their analysis of these policies and their recommendations for change from the points of view of a researcher and an attorney who challenges such laws. You will also hear from a state official from Utah’s Department of Professional Licensing on the promising practices implemented there.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by speakers in this webinar are solely those of the participants and do not reflect the opinions of Cornell University or the ILR School.