'Ban the box' bill could level playing field for job seekers with criminal histories
"Ultimately, such a law would allow people from all backgrounds to compete fairly for employment opportunities within the state. Since more than 80% of employees feel their employers expect too much work from too few people, the passing of a "Ban the Box" bill could increase the talent pool of viable candidates. As a bonus, it could also decrease recidivism, as employment is the number one determining factor in whether someone convicted of a crime will go back to jail in the future."
"Although not all business owners are in favor of banning the box, supposedly due to the burden it places on smaller organizations, advocates and lawmakers are hopeful that the bill can succeed."
"As Democratic Representative Leslie Herod explained in a statement: "The data is there, showing that when you give someone an opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation with an employer, to get out of that application process, they're more likely to get that job... All we're trying to do is ensure that people aren't automatically screened out for a mistake they made in their past and that they’ve paid their time for. This will allow them to sit next to an employer one-on-one and say, 'Here's what I did in my past, here's who I am now and here's how I plan to move forward.' Ban the Box will give them that opportunity."
#LeslieHerod #BantheBox #criminaljusticereform #SecondChances
