COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former convict Hameen Shabazz said he paid his debt to society.
“When I was 19, I was arrested for distribution of crack cocaine and sentenced to 20 years and served 13 years in prison," Shabazz said.
But when it came to his dream of becoming a social worker, he couldn't outrun his criminal past.
“I sat for the exam, I paid the money for the classes and the exam, but then they told me no," Shabazz said.
Nearly one in four jobs in the U.S. require some type of license to work, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Many states, including South Carolina, deny those with criminal records obtaining the professional licenses they need to work a variety of jobs, including barbers, electricians, land surveyors, school bus drivers, and more.
“If a person can go to work, and they can make a living wage, they're 15 times less likely to recidivate and to go back to prison," Shabazz said.
Bipartisan proposals moving through the legislature prohibit the State from denying ex-convicts an occupational license unless the crime is directly related to the profession.
“I'm a former drug dealer. I don't think I should be able to get a pharmacy license," Shabazz said. "But, I do think that I should be able to get a barbering license, you know, because that had nothing to do with what I did.”
The bill would also require boards to offer an applicant a hearing before they can deny a license.
At a time when South Carolina has more than 100,000 jobs open, the State Chamber of Commerce said this could be a solution.
“We could roughly probably guess 3,500 or so individuals could benefit from this if we follow the North Carolina's model,” said Vice President of Government Affairs Will Frierson.
According to Frierson, about 19% of males in the state report that the presence of a prior criminal history is a key barrier to employment.
"Making it easier for those folks to get back in the workforce could unlock employment for those individuals," said Frierson.
33 years after his release from prison and seven years after his pardon, Shabazz now teaches at Midlands Technical College and dedicates his life to helping formerly incarcerated individuals through Project Not A Statistic ( Project NAS).
"I believe sometimes people need third and fourth chances," Shabazz said.