The article, “Utah criminal record expungement fees to quadruple July 1″ only showed one way that Utah is continuing to mistreat people with criminal records — many of whom are working hard to turn their lives around, only to have barrier after barrier placed in their way.
For example, Utah law keeps countless people out of a job because of their criminal records. Many of them are trying to get low- or middle- income jobs and have employers ready to hire them. But the state stops these people from getting a license to work because of their record, even for crimes of “moral turpitude” (a vague term open to interpretation). The state can even deny licenses when the conviction is irrelevant to the job the person seeks.
My organization — the Institute for Justice — brought a successful lawsuit on behalf of a Pennsylvania mom who was denied a cosmetology license from the state because of two old DUIs, even though she had since been sober for five years and had an employer eager to hire her.
We similarly helped a Florida ocean lifeguard who was denied an EMT license that he needed to continue working — merely because he had an old drug conviction.
Utah’s law would allow similarly unfair denials to take place.
Our organization, the Institute for Justice, recently gave Utah a B- for its licensing barriers to those with a record. Utah can do better. Especially with the labor shortage, reform in this area is needed now more than ever.
Erica Smith Ewing, Arlington, Virginia
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