When is a debt to society truly paid? How can someone survive after being in prison if state laws make it impossible to get a job with a criminal record?

Gary Wozniak from Detroit found himself asking those questions after he served his three-year prison term. Gary was convicted of stealing money from his financial clients (he was a stock broker) to fund his drug habits. But as Gary puts it, “When I got out of prison, I couldn’t even be hired to sweep a broom in a nursing home because of state regulations.”

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has long been dedicated to fighting overbearing and restrictive economic policies. State-mandated occupational licenses and restrictive job regulations hurt anyone trying to start a career or enter a new industry. But these policies can be an unscalable wall for ex-offenders trying to rebuild their lives.

In 2017, Mackinac produced an in-depth research report called “This isn’t Working: How Michigan’s licensing laws hurt workers and consumers.” They used state and national data, as well as research from leading experts on consumer licensing laws, to show how some sensible rules for a few professions devolved into arbitrary barriers for dozens of industries.

Partnerships and personal stories create possibilities for change

Then, Mackinac sought out real-life people—like Gary Wozniak—to show the perverse realities that restrictive job policies create for ex-offenders trying to earn their future back.

After being locked out of almost every job he applied for, Gary started his own business as a franchise owner of Jet’s Pizza. He eventually started seven different businesses and even began a nonprofit with a mission of hiring people with challenging backgrounds. Gary refused to become another story of an ex-offender who ended up back in prison, his success has come from years of his hard work—in spite of Michigan’s policies.

So, with inspirational heroes like Gary, Mackinac got to work converting their research and stories into policy results. The organization hosted numerous events in the state capital to present their impressive research on the need for criminal justice reform and start a dialogue around what criminal justice reforms were needed to give people a second chance.

Mackinac then partnered with other groups such as the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, ACLU, Michigan Freedom Fund, Americans for Prosperity, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Safe & Just Michigan, Michigan League for Public Policy, and Michigan Catholic Conference to show the need and possibility for licensing and jobs reforms for ex-offenders.

Gary even testified in front of state legislators alongside Mackinac experts to advocate for legislation like Senate Bill 40, which would make it much harder for legislators—and special interests—to pass overburdensome and unnecessary licensing laws and regulations.

Senate Bill 40 is in the review process of the legislature now, and Mackinac has been instrumental in organizing a coalition of policy groups—as well as the bill’s sponsors—to advance this incredibly important legislation.

As many SPN members know, having good ideas that can inform sound legislation is important. But changing hearts and minds, including those of policymakers, often takes building coalitions of support and championing heroes like Gary to see a change for good in the law.