A Completed Sentence, but Ongoing Punishment: How Past Criminal Convictions Bar Floridians from Occupational Licensing Opportunities

Mass incarceration has left millions of Americans with a criminal record, significantly limiting their employment outcomes. This is compounded by occupational licensing requirements that impose barriers to entry for certain occupations. In Florida, occupational licensing has dramatically increased, barring people with criminal records from entering occupations like barbering and cosmetics. This report highlights how other states have implemented occupational licensing reforms for returning citizens through different procedural protections.