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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Legislation
increases opportunities for people with felonies
Ohio Cities Including Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and
Youngstown Have Already Begun to Implement “Ban the Box” Hiring
Practices… Large Companies, Including Walmart; Target; Bed, Bath &
Beyond; Koch Industries; Starbucks; and Home Depot have Stopped Asking
about Prior Convictions at the Beginning of the Job Application Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the Fair
Chance Act – bipartisan legislation to expand job opportunities and
reduce recidivism by requiring federal contractors and federal agencies
to “ban the box” on job applications. Reforming hiring practices has
widespread support from both public and private institutions. Eighteen
states, including Ohio, and more than 100 cities and counties have
already begun to implement fair chance hiring practices that prevent
job applicants from being asked about prior convictions until later in
the hiring process.
“Fair hiring practices help ensure that people who have served their
time can reenter the workforce without continuing to be punished for
their past mistakes,” Brown said. “All Americans deserve the chance to
earn a living and make a positive contribution to their communities.
These reforms would ensure that they have that chance and help to
restore hope and opportunity to those who have served their time and
paid their dues to society.”
The Fair Chance Act was introduced by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and
U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-NJ-7). Cosponsors of the bill include
Brown, U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Joni
Ernst (R-IA); along with U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA-49), Sheila
Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), Bonnie Watson Coleman
(D-NJ-12), Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2), John Conyers (D-MI-13), and Bobby
Scott (D-VA-3).
“Ban the box” refers to the section on job application forms that
inquires whether the applicant has ever been convicted. For the more
than 70 million Americans who have criminal convictions, this barrier
to employment so early in the hiring process can serve as categorical
disqualification, and limits their ability to provide for themselves
and their families. Studies have shown that an inability to find
employment is one of the leading causes of reoffending.
Cities and counties across Ohio, including Cuyahoga County, Hamilton
County, Summit County, Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton,
Massillon, and Youngstown have already “banned the box” for government
employment applications. Many of the nation’s largest employers,
including Walmart; Target; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Koch Industries;
Starbucks; and Home Depot, have also opted to “ban the box.”
Under “ban the box,” employers would retain the ability to inquire
about past convictions or conduct background checks regarding a
potential employee before making an employment decision. Positions
related to law enforcement and national security duties and positions
that require access to classified information would be exempted.
The Fair Chance Act is supported by The Center for Urban Families, Bend
the Arc Jewish Action, The National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP), The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and
The National Black Prosecutors Association.
Brown continues to advocate for the rights of people with records. In
May, Brown led a group of 25 of his Senate colleagues in a letter
urging President Obama to expand job opportunities and reduce
recidivism by taking executive action and requiring federal contractors
and federal agencies to “ban the box” on job applications. Brown is
also a cosponsor of the Democracy Restoration Act of 2015, legislation
that would restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals.
The bill aims to help Americans who have served their time successfully
reenter their communities.
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