After prison, a second chance

After prison, a second chance

Columbus Dispatch: Society needs to punish crime, but when people have served their punishment for crimes, society is better served if they have a chance to land a job and lead a productive life. That’s why punitive measures unrelated to the original offense that last long after prison are counterproductive.

Gov. John Kasich and his administration are right to look into ways to do away with some of the barriers that prevent ex-convicts from getting jobs.

Ohio has more than 800 so-called collateral sanctions — extra punishments, often unrelated to the crime committed.

Some restrictions are necessary, of course.

But Ohio can clear away many meaningless sanctions without endangering the public. As laws currently stand, more than 1.9 million Ohioans have crimes on their records that limit their employment opportunities.

Kasich plans to chip away at that by changing state hiring policies so that people who are otherwise qualified for jobs can be considered even if they have a crime in their background.