Institute for Justice
Nick Sibilla
As a Writer & Legislative Analyst for the Institute for Justice, Nick Sibilla regularly writes opeds and works with state and federal lawmakers from both parties. As part of IJ’s legislative affairs team, Nick has helped secure landmark reforms that overhauled civil forfeiture and occupational licensing in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Nebraska and New Hampshire. He is also a senior contributor to Forbes.com, where he covers criminal justice and entrepreneurship.
Outside of Forbes, his writings have appeared in many high-profile outlets, including The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the New York Post, Barron’s, The Guardian, Slate, Wired, Reason, FoxNews.com, NBCNews.com, National Review Online, The Orange County Register and numerous newspapers nationwide. His work has also been cited by multiple law review journals, the Center for American Progress, the Heritage Foundation, The Economist, SCOTUSblog and the Council of the District of Columbia Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety.
@nick_sibilla
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Aloe Blacc: The Police Have Hid Behind ‘Qualified Immunity’ for Too Long https://t.co/pxTPOzaGOR via @RollingStone
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“For too long, qualified immunity has denied victims a remedy for violations of their constitutional rights. It’s e… https://t.co/PRTXOEr3yC
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RT @IJ: Even as states debate opening the economy back up, millions of Americans with criminal records are still locked out of the job mark…
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RT @IJ: 15 years ago, #SCOTUS ruled in our landmark Kelo eminent domain case. Susette lost her land, but her home has become a national sym…
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RT @JCSchwartzProf: Opinion | Congress must reopen the courts to people whose rights are violated by police https://t.co/aM1Ul7JTrk
In the News
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Barred From Working
A Nationwide Study of Occupational Licensing Barriers for Ex-Offenders
Earning an honest living is one of the best ways to prevent re-offending. But strict occupational licensing requirements make it harder for ex-offenders to find work, thwarting their chances of successful reentry. Along with other “collateral consequences,” like losing the right to vote or the ability to receive government assistance, ex-offenders can be denied a license to work simply because of their criminal record.
This report provides the most up-to-date account of occupational licensing barriers for ex-offenders and will be regularly updated whenever a state changes its laws. Using 10 distinct criteria, this report grades all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their legal protections for licensing applicants with criminal records. (See Methodology.)
- The average state grade is a C-. Nationwide, only 10 states—Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Utah—earned a B- or better. Reflecting the surge of interest in this issue, nine of those 10 states have reformed their licensing laws since 2015.
- Indiana ranked as the best state in the nation for ex-offenders seeking a license to work, earning this report’s only A grade. In contrast, six states—Alabama, Alaska, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont—were tied for last, receiving a zero on a 100-point scale for their lack of protections for felons seeking licenses.
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Untangling Regulations
Natural Hair Braiders Fight Against Irrational Licensing
Natural hair braiding is a beauty practice popular among many African, African-American and immigrant communities in the United States. But braiders in many states have to endure hundreds of hours of unnecessary coursework and pay thousands of dollars before they can legally work.
