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Illinois

* Press release…

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) are pleased to announce a new initiative that streamlines the professional licensing process for men and women who are being released from prison.

Starting immediately, offenders who’ve completed the required coursework for Barbering and Cosmetology will be able to apply for their professional license and meet with the licensing board via video conference up to six months before their release or parole date. This common sense policy change reverses the previous approach, which prohibited offenders from starting the application process until they were already released from the institution.

“By creating a pathway towards licensure while still in the institutional setting, we are able to provide near immediate opportunity for individuals exiting prison,” said Bryan A. Schneider, IDFPR Secretary. “We believe this regulatory revision provides real change for those leaving incarceration, while supplying our local economies with able bodied employees at the ready.”

“This is a step in the right direction as we work toward reducing the recidivism rate in Illinois,” said IDOC Acting Director John Baldwin. “When men and women know they’ll be rewarded for their hard work, they are more inclined to participate in programming that will improve their odds of success in the community. This new policy means offenders will be able to join the workforce as soon as they walk out of the correctional center doors.”

This effort is a direct response to the Illinois Criminal Justice and Sentencing Commission’s recommendation to “remove unnecessary barriers to those convicted of crimes from obtaining professional licenses.” It is a small but critical first step in reducing employment barriers for ex-offenders and driving down the prison population in the state of Illinois.

Interviews and b-roll of Cosmetology students at Logan Correctional Center are available on the IDOC Facebook page and on the CMS website at http://www.illinois.gov/cms/agency/media/video/.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 2:47 pm

Comments

–This effort is a direct response to the Illinois Criminal Justice and Sentencing Commission’s recommendation to “remove unnecessary barriers to those convicted of crimes from obtaining professional licenses.” It is a small but critical first step in reducing employment barriers for ex-offenders and driving down the prison population in the state of Illinois.–

Good on the Rauner administration.

The human resource/risk management world, armed with instant information technology, is not in the business of giving the convicted a second chance. The surplus labor pool is too large.

Well done, superstars, Frat Boys and governor, all.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:00 pm
This makes so much sense.

Comment by Gordon Willis Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:05 pm
Second Attempt - Agree with Wordslinger.

Yet my local CC has been forced to eliminate Adult Ed and all programs being run at a state correctional facility ( among many, many other programs ) because of the lack of state funding.

Wishing these impacted individuals the best in their gainful employment.

Comment by illini Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:11 pm
Even the BigBrains can have a good idea and folo through….wonderin’ if all the anti “early release” whack jobs, who roasted PQ time after time, will agree.

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:17 pm
I’m so happy that the era is over where both Democrats and Republicans were competing with each other to show who was more punitive.

Comment by Muscular Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:17 pm
This is a very good thing. The licensure process can and usually does take a long time. More than enough time for a recently released prisoner to reoffend while waiting for their license. I’d like to see IDOC take it one step farther and coordinate apprenticeships with barber shops/cosmetology businesses outside of the institution in the last six months or so of an inmate’s sentence. If the inmate plans to live in the immediate vicinity upon release, this could mean they have a job immediately upon discharge. But even if they relocate to another area they will have received some real world work experience they can list on a job application.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:20 pm
Good start, but hopefully there will be expanded skills involved soon. There seems to be many people working in the barbering and cosmetology vocations already.

Comment by Big Joe Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 3:21 pm
–Yet my local CC has been forced to eliminate Adult Ed and all programs being run at a state correctional facility ( among many, many other programs ) because of the lack of state funding.–

And that brings us back to reality.

How some of the people, all of the time, can accept destroying higher ed as a legitimate political tactic is beyond me.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 4:44 pm
Great news! Now, if prisoners can videoconference with the licensing board, what about people who are not incarcerated?

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 4:54 pm
IDPR is one of the most inept government agencies. Nothing more than a political graft and corruption.

Comment by Tinsel Town Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 7:16 pm
Now, how about we fund the programs side of corrections? We’ve lost most of our vocational education, and higher Ed.services. Even dropping some of the adult Ed services which were federally funded…but it “looked like” we were saving money…smoke and mirrors.

Comment by Property of IDOC Monday, Apr 11, 16 @ 11:49 pm