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Guillen bill would reduce licensure barriers for many former felons

Ana Correa from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition points out another good re-entry related bill authored by last session's House Appropriations Vice-Chairman Ryan Guillen, HB 70, described thusly in a TDCJ fact sheet she sent me (not online):Returning offenders need gainful employment in order to reintegrate and take personal responsibility.Texas has 168 state laws that forbid felons from obtaining jobs. Texas law also designates over 2000 individual offenses as felonies, which results in a huge felon population in Texas. In fact, approximately 1 in 11 Texas adults have a felony conviction on his or her record. These people must find jobs and housing or risk returning to illegal activity to survive.What does the bill do?House Bill 70, by Representative Ryan Guillen, would allow for the provisional licensure of individuals convicted of misdemeanors or non-violent, non-sex-related felonies...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on November 12, 2008 (boomark / email).