A criminal conviction was never meant to be a life sentence to poverty. The time has come to “ban the box,” thus prohibiting the practice of discriminating against those with criminal convictions when applying for employment. Job applicants should be evaluated based on their credentials, not old or unrelated convictions. Those effected should be provided the opportunity to explain their legal trouble as well as their rehabilitative steps during the interview process, and should not be excluded from consideration for employment based solely on a past conviction. Background checks would continue to screen for inappropriate applicants, based on the nature of the work.
Skilled workers should be allowed to practice their trade and be compensated as the marketplace dictates. Too often these workers are forced into minimum wage jobs that do not reflect their talents and confine them into a growing class of people, the working poor.
Providing good, stable employment is an effective crime reduction strategy, will save taxpayer dollars, and build safer communities. Rehabilitated offenders should be provided the opportunity to compete for dignified employment, thus earning a wage that allows them the ability to support themselves financially and keep their families intact. The pride of maintaining employment with a living wage and benefits allows these men and women to stay invested in the community and significantly reduces the likelihood they will continue to commit crimes. Additionally, it allows for them to be positive role models for their children and reduces the likelihood their children will be dependent on the child welfare system.
Nationwide, 1 in 4 Americans has a criminal conviction. By “banning the box”, our community has the opportunity to improve the financial situations for many workers and assist employers by removing artificial limits on an employer’s pool of qualified candidates.
The social and economic benefits to this change are significant and the time is ripe for this positive change. It is time to “ban the box.”
Mark Murray is President of AFSCME Local 1587, Probation Peace Officers’ Union
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