May 26 2006
“Ban the Box”
GUESTS: Gretchen Heidemann, Program Director at A New Way of Life Re-entry Project, and an organizer with All of Us or None, Kesha Burton, member of All of Us or None, formerly incarcerated
The LA County Board of Supervisors recently passed a motion calling for an evaluation of its hiring procedures of people with prior criminal convictions. As part of the “Ban the Box†campaign, LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke and the activist group “All of Us or None of Us†are asking LA County to follow San Francisco’s lead in ending employment discrimination against former prisoners. The “box” refers to a standard question on job applications that asks potential employees if they have ever been convicted of criminal charges. San Francisco was the first city in California to have the box banned from their application process. An estimated 12 million people in the United States have felony convictions on their records. The question of prior convictions contributes to the unemployment of 70 to 90 percent of formerly incarcerated people. In recent year, the percentage of background checks has jumped from 51% in 1996 to 80% in 2003. The LA Board of Supervisors is expected to report back in less than 45 days with ideas on how to change the city’s hiring practices.
For more information, call 323-563-3575, or visit www.allofusornone.org, and www.anewwayoflife.org.
2 Responses to ““Ban the Box””
I feel that rights should be restored to formerly incarcerated persons who have PAID THIER DEBT TO SOCIETY deserve a chance to return to the society and be able to avail themselves to services and privileges that are being denied now. Such as, public housing, financial aid, health care, child custody, public assistance.
I am going to have to leave Oregon once I graduate college. It seems as though this state may be a little greedy when it comes to bringing in that government revenue. Their idea for lowering crime is to give offenders maximum sentences and then no job when they parole.
BAN THE BOX!