A Victory for Fairness: A Step Forward on Virginia’s Barrier Crimes Restrictions

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that Virginia couldn’t bar a qualified substance-abuse counselor from helping people suffering from addiction. Melissa Brown was barred from working with patients under the state’s “barrier crime” law. The law bans people with convictions for any of 176 “barrier crimes” from being employed in a “direct care” position, which includes both substance abuse counselors and their direct supervisors.

Melissa Brown, the plaintiff in the case, is represented in the lawsuit by the Institute for Justice (IJ). After the ruling, she can undergo a “screening assessment” and then work with patients.