Ban the Box

Ban the Box is the name of an international campaign by civil rights groups and advocates for ex-offenders, aimed at persuading employers to remove from their hiring applications the check box that asks if applicants have a criminal record. Its purpose is to enable ex-offenders to display their qualifications in the hiring process before being asked about their criminal records. The premise of the campaign is that anything that makes it harder for ex-offenders to find a job makes it likelier that they will re-offend, which is bad for society.

The campaign began in Hawaii in the late 1990s, and has gained strength in other U.S. states following the 2007-2009 recession. Its advocates say it is necessary because a growing number of Americans have criminal records due to tougher sentencing laws particularly for drug crimes,[1] and are having difficulty finding work because of high unemployment and a rise in background checks that followed the September 11 terror attacks on the United States.[2]

As of July 2015, 52 U.S. municipalities and 18 states had in place legislation that "banned the box" for government job applications and also in some cases those of their private contractors.[3] Many such ordinances exempt applications for "sensitive" positions, such as those involving work with children.[1] Target Corporation "banned the box" in October 2013.[4]

In the United Kingdom, corporate social responsibility advocacy charity Business in the Community launched a "ban the box" campaign in October 2013.[5]

The campaign has been criticized by U.S. industry group the National Retail Federation for exposing companies, their customers and employees to potential crime,[1] and by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, which says it could expose employers to lawsuits from unsuccessful applicants.[2]

Fair Chance

In 2014, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the Fair Chance Ordinance, authored by Supervisors Jane Kim and Malia Cohen.[6] October 27, 2015, NYC enacted the Fair Chance Law.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Harless, William (3 August 2013). "'Ban the Box' Laws Make Criminal Pasts Off-Limits". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 Marois, Michael B. (11 October 2013). "California Gives Break to Growing Workforce With Criminal Past". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Even the smallest record can be a life sentence of poverty". NewsOK.com. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Staples, Brent (29 October 2013). "Target Bans the Box". New York Times. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Howard, Stephen (17 October 2013). "'Ban the Box' campaign asks employers to give ex-offenders a chance". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Lagos, Marisa (February 4, 2014). "San Francisco supervisors pass "ban the box" law". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Fair Chance NYC". Fair Chance NYC. Retrieved 2015-11-05.

External links

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