This reminds me of my “favorite” example of how openly counterproductive our prison system can be.
The single largest job training program in NYS prisons is barber school.
And until ~2008, anyone with a felony record was categorically banned from getting a barber’s license.
The head of the NY prison system says Corcraft, which pays incarcerated people pennies an hour, is an essential job training program. People who've worked these jobs say it's a coercive system requiring hours of their labor just to afford basic toiletries: hellgatenyc.com/corcraft-pri...
Around 2008, the state passed a law forbidding the licensing agency from using a felony record as a *blanket* ban. But they could still use the record on a case-by-case basis.
The hurdles and impediments we put in front of ppl, then shake our heads in mock disappointment at high recidivism rates.
