After being released from prison, ex-offenders are far more likely to stay away from law-breaking (and further incarceration) if they are employed.

Unfortunately, sometimes hundreds of jobs are denied to ex-offenders through statutes and administrative codes. In Ohio, there are an estimated 800 of these restrictions, which apply to a myriad of different employment opportunities that vary in skill, degree of sensitivity, and education required.

The Governor of Ohio, Republican John Kasich, is working with lawmakers, prosecutors, and judges to figure out which restrictions should be eliminated for certain offenders.

Kasich noted that any felony conviction precludes obtaining a commercial driver’s license, but that there are “5,000 truck driving jobs in the state of Ohio.”

Eliminating licensure restrictions for certain professions for certain ex-offenders will increase the number who stay out of prison and lead productive, law-abiding lives. This means higher rates of employment, and it also means less money spent by the government on corrections and social services.