Last week we wrote about some of the criminal justice reforms recently signed into law by Gov. Rauner. Today we have some more information about one of those reforms, Senate Bill 42, that might be of interest to our readers, especially those working toward certain state work licenses.

Under current law, a health care worker cannot receive a license to practice nursing if they have been convicted of a forcible felony. This can pose a problem for workers like Lisa Creason, a woman working toward a nursing certificate and who was enrolled in nursing school when the current law was passed, who are still paying for a crime they committed 20 years ago.

“The signing of Senate Bill 42 into law lifts lifelong restrictions and allows individuals to be financially self-sufficient and not dependent on government,” she said.

Instead, this new law signed by Gov. Rauner will allow people who have received forcible felonies to petition the state after 3 years to reinstate their professional license, as long as their crime was not sexual in nature or did not require them to register as a sexual offender.

This law will be a great help for people looking to turn their lives around. The previous law was too restrictive and absolute in its denial of work to people who may otherwise be great candidates and no longer pose a threat. The new law will let the state take a look and ensure that those who are contributing to society can continue to do so.

This law is a part of a trend of reform in Chicago. Another closely related bill also allows people with criminal histories to seal their records much earlier than they would otherwise be allowed. The law, House bill 3149, aims at helping reformed offenders more successfully re-enter society after completing their prison sentences.