H.B. 5531, An Act Concerning Enhanced Employment Opportunities for Incarcerated Individuals

By requiring the Department of Correction to establish a job training program that would allow incarcerated people to qualify for apprenticeships after their release, this bill is good public policy. For this program to truly work and be meaningful, though, there must be occupational licensing reform to allow people with criminal records to become licensed in more occupations. The ACLU-CT encourages the legislature to add language to this bill requiring occupational licensing reform and to support the bill.