|
In central Ohio, a large coalition
of advocates, faith leaders, service providers, and others have
formed First Step to a Second Chance (FSSC).
FSSC is a coalition to advocate removal of barriers that
negatively affect formerly incarcerated persons’ ability to
find work.
The solution may be as simple as removing a check box from the front
of a job application, an initiative also known as "Ban The Box." FSSC
encourages employers to delay asking about applicants’
criminal history until later on in the process. This allows
ex-offenders a fair chance to get a job, and for employers to see
applicants as more than just their criminal background.
The ACLU of Ohio has been deeply involved in the formation
and work of the coalition.
Why is this effort needed?
Decades of misguided and largely ineffective tough-on-crime laws
have created a growing population of Americans with criminal
records. In Ohio, half of the people sentenced to prison serve
only one year or less. At over 133% capacity, our prisons are
simply too full to hold those who would be better served in other
settings.
Nearly everyone who enters prison is released eventually. These
ex-offenders experience stigmas that can prevent them from
obtaining jobs, education, and other necessities. Something as
simple as indicating a criminal record on a job application means
the door is closed to them before their qualifications are vetted,
they have a chance to explain their pasts, or before they get
an interview.
When ex-offenders cannot get jobs, the likelihood they will commit
future crimes increases. It also means they are more likely to
rely on government programs for health care, food stamps and a
wide variety of other benefits.
These are people who want to work, want to support themselves and
their families, earn an honest living, and turn their lives
around.
First Step to a Second Chance seeks to convince employers to
alter their hiring practices so ex-offenders have a fair chance
in the selection process.
No one should be passed over for a job because of a single check
mark on an application.
What have we done and what are we
doing?
The First Step to a Second Chance coalition has been working
with the city of Columbus to strengthen their hiring practices
and ensure ex-offenders will get fair consideration for city jobs.
We have also begun work with Franklin County officials on our
concerns about barriers to county employment.
Why are you concentrating on
government employers and not
private ones?
We recognize that the surge of ex-offenders in Ohio did not
happen overnight. We also realize it will take time and patience
to reverse this trend.
Advocates locally and nationally deliberately choose to address
government employers first because they carry the most likelihood
of early success. It is our goal to make government bodies a
model for private employers.
Will adoption of these fair
hiring policies mean employers will be forced to hire ex-offenders?
No one is seeking to force employers to hire someone who is
unqualified. Rather, this effort seeks to increase opportunities
and encourage employers to view a prospective employee as more
than just an application, a resume, or a checked box.
Will these policies mean
employers can no longer do background checks?
No. Understandably, employers want to know about aspects of
peoples’ past that may impact their job performance. For example,
if someone considered for a job handling finances has been
convicted of embezzlement or fraud, that could impact their
ability to do the job.
However, such inquiries should be delayed to the latter stages
of the hiring process. This will give ex-offenders a fair shot
at getting a job, and may benefit employers. If they limit
background checks to those in the final stages of the hiring
process, they will save time and money compared to current
systems that check all applicants.
Have other cities and counties
adopted these policies?
About 30 other cities and counties have, including: Cincinnati,
Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Baltimore, and
Chicago.
How can you help?
If you live in the Columbus/Franklin County area, the First Step
to a Second Chance coalition has petitions for individuals to
sign and a letter organizations may sign. You can contact
contact@acluohio.org
to receive these documents.
If you, or someone else you know, is interested in supporting
this effort, please contact us. This can include your friends,
family, places of employment, houses of worship, civic
organizations and anyone else committed to helping others and
making common sense changes.
If you’re interested in starting this effort in your local
community, also feel free to contact us at
contact@acluohio.org so
we can assist you.
Additional Resources
|
news center
volunteer