This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A federal judge has ruled that the state of Virginia is not allowed to bar a qualified counselor, focusing on substance abuse, from helping those with addictions.

A report from the Institute for Justice explains that Melissa Brown was barred from seeing patients under a state "barrier crime" law that banishes those with convictions for any of 176 offenses from seeing patients.

That applies to substance abuse counselors and their supervisors.

"Melissa made mistakes when she was young and in the throes of addiction herself," the ID explained. "Those mistakes came to a head in 2001, when she stole a purse to fund her drug habit. She was convicted of robbery, which prompted her to stop using drugs and turn her life around."

"This decision is more than personal," Brown said. "It's a victory for everyone who believes in second chances. I hope this decision opens the door for countless others with lived experience to bring healing to those who are still suffering."

It was after her bout with robbery that she changed, and now she will be allowed to undergo a "screening assessment," then find work.

She had earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and began working with substance abuse victims, specifically heroin, after she left the drug scene.

She had been promoted to clinical supervisor in 2018.

"But, after new management took over the rehab center where she worked, she learned that, under Virginia law, she was banned from working as a counselor due to her decades-old conviction," the IJ said.

She now works at a different rehab center as chief growth officer, but wants to return to helping patients.

"The government should never stop people from working because of irrelevant criminal convictions," said IJ lawyer Andrew Ward. "We're thrilled the court recognized that. But there's still work to do. Every year, Virginia blocks hundreds of qualified professionals for convictions that are more than twenty years old. That has to change, and this decision is just the start."

Added Mike Greenberg, also a lawyer for IJ, "The Constitution requires that restrictions on the right to work be rational. The Court here recognized the obvious: No one could rationally think that barring someone with Melissa's experience and empathy protects people suffering from addiction. It just meant less help for the people who most need it."