Banning The Box: Enabling A Second Chance
"Convicted felon" is a phrase that conjures images of hardened criminals, supermax prisons, and repeat offenders. These are who many people have in mind when they refuse to hire those with felonies in their past. The question -- "have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a felony?" -- often precludes consideration for an opening, no matter how unrelated the job is to the original offense or how many years in the past the crime happened. There is, however, a national movement, supported by major corporations such as Target, Archer Daniels Midland, Wal-Mart, and Koch Industries, to "Ban The Box," removing this question from initial job applications. Almost 20 states have adopted some form of this policy.