Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s DeVoe L. Moore Center received a WorkRise grant to conduct a collaborative research project with the Florida Policy Institute examining how occupational licensing prevents ex-offenders from gaining meaningful employment.
Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D., director of the DeVoe L. Moore Center, and Tachana Joseph-Marc, policy analyst for the Florida Policy Institute, will produce a variety of reports, data visualizations, and resources for policymakers, employers, and the community as part of their project titled “A Completed Sentence, but Ongoing Punishment: How Past Criminal Convictions Bar Floridians from Occupational Licensing Opportunities.”
“Collaborations across organizations from varying perspectives are essential for developing sound policy recommendations,” said Staley, whose expertise in urban policy, economic development, and social entrepreneurship spans four decades. “I am excited to work in partnership with the Florida Policy Institute because of the potential to craft meaningful policy reforms that improve opportunities for some of our most marginalized populations.”
WorkRise, a research-to-action network on jobs, workers, and mobility hosted by the Urban Institute, awarded $2.4 million in research grants to be distributed among 22 projects. Grantees will examine barriers and disparities leading to inequities in the labor market and explore pathways for low-wage workers to achieve greater economic mobility.
Special consideration was given to selecting projects that addressed equity gaps affecting minoritized groups, including people of color, immigrants, and women.
The project, selected from a competitive pool of 175 proposals, will provide employers, policymakers, and practitioners with evidence-based research to guide their decisions.
For more information, view the full news release here.
DeVoe L. Moore Center
The DeVoe L. Moore Center is a public policy research institute, or “think tank,” involved in examining market-oriented solutions to pressing social problems on the state and local levels in Florida. The center focuses on areas such as regulation, land use, and urban development, entrepreneurship, government accountability and transparency, and economic development.
Florida Policy Institute
Florida Policy Institute is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization dedicated to advancing policies and budgets that improve the economic mobility and quality of life for all Floridians. FPI does this through research, strategic outreach, coalition building, and policy advocacy.