Vittorio Nastasi
Director of Criminal Justice Policy, Reason Foundation
Vittorio Nastasi is the director of criminal justice policy at Reason Foundation, where he provides research and technical assistance to lawmakers and stakeholders across the country.
His work focuses on removing barriers to employment, housing, and education for individuals with criminal records; curbing excessive criminal fines and fees; and reducing system overreach through policy research and legislative engagement. His research and commentary have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Orange County Register, Atlanta Journal–Constitution, Palm Beach Post, and Tallahassee Democrat, among others.
Before joining Reason, he worked with the James Madison Institute and the DeVoe L. Moore Center, researching land-use regulation, occupational licensing, and criminal justice policy. Nastasi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science and is currently a doctoral candidate at Florida State University’s Askew School of Public Administration and Policy. He is based in Tallahassee, Florida.
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Victim-offender dialogues may help victims heal
Research evidence suggests that victim-offender dialogue can have positive impacts on victims’ healing and may even have positive effects against recidivism.
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Virginia’s Senate Bill 826 would reduce uncertainty associated with occupational licensing approvals
Senate Bill 826 would bring Virginia’s licensing policies in line with the 25 other states that have adopted predetermination processes.
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Providing IDs to returning citizens in Pennsylvania would facilitate successful reintegration
H.B. 1601 would require the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to establish a program to assist citizens in obtaining state-issued photo IDs before release.
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Tennessee reduces unnecessary occupational licensing barriers for people with criminal records
House Bill 1859 builds on the success of Tennessee’s Fresh Start Act by providing greater clarity for occupational licensing applicants who are denied licensure based on their criminal history.
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Georgia’s House Bill 926 will help address court-related driver’s license suspensions
Judge Gary Jackson of the Atlanta Municipal Court described failure to appear license reinstatement as “the number one administrative challenge we have in our court.”
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California politicians shouldn’t forget the effectiveness of telehealth
California's antiquated licensing laws and regulations prevent patients from accessing needed health care.
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Florida’s successful telehealth policies should be applied to address dental care shortages
More than seven million Floridians live in areas with shortages of dental health professionals.
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New York’s clean slate reforms offer former offenders a second chance
New York’s approach to automated record sealing strikes an appropriate balance between upholding public safety and offering former offenders a second chance.
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South Dakota reduces unnecessary occupational licensing barriers for people with criminal records
South Dakota's Senate Bill 57 is a major step in the right direction in reducing barriers to employment for individuals with criminal records.
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Analysis: 34 cities in Georgia collected at least 20 percent of their total revenue from fines and forfeitures
Five cities in Georgia—Lenox, Warwick, Oliver, Hiltonia, and Rock Ford—collected at least 50 percent of their total revenues from fines and forfeitures.
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New report highlights enormous scale of community supervision in the United States
Data from a new report from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that nearly 3.7 million adults are on community supervision programs like probation and parole.
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Southern California counties should get rid of late fees for traffic fines
Late fees continue to burden many low-income Californians while exacerbating the problems of revenue-oriented policing.
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Florida criminal justice reform would reduce technical violations of probation
Senate Bill 1478 offers Gov. DeSantis a great opportunity to further improve Florida’s parole and community supervision programs.
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South Carolina reduces occupational licensing barriers for people with criminal records
Several studies have linked occupational licensing policies to increased criminal recidivism.
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Georgia Gov. Kemp signs bill to help released prisoners obtain IDs, documentation
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp just signed into law a bill that helps those freed from prison obtain identification cards and proof of programs and training they have completed while incarcerated.
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IRS delayed its reporting rules targeting gig economy income, but a permanent fix is needed
Taxpayers get one small, temporary reprieve from the government's ongoing crackdown on the sharing economy.
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Californians shouldn’t lose access to telehealth services because emergency order ended
California’s telehealth policies fail to meet best practices for promoting patient access and giving flexibility to health care providers.
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Florida should abolish capital punishment, not make it easier
In Florida, 30 people have been exonerated while they were awaiting execution since 1972.