How ‘Ban The Box’ Could Change Stigma of Criminal Conviction

Efforts are underway to ban the box on job applications that require potential employees to reveal past criminal convictions.

By Hady Mawajdeh & Alain StephensNovember 4, 2015 2:44 pm,

On Monday President Barack Obama made the call to “ban the box” for federal job applicants with prison records so that they are given a chance to get through the door.

The box in question is the check box on job applications asking applicants if they have ever been convicted of a crime.

Nationwide, over 100 cities and counties have have decided to ban the box on their own, as a measure to consider applicants on the basis of their qualifications, without the stigma which comes from a conviction.

But the effort has not gone over well with one group in Texas. Greg Glod, policy analyst for Texas Public Policy Foundation and Right on Crime, says their sticking point is banning the box from applicants to positions at the federal level.

“The bridge too far is when you get into federal contractors to require them to ban the box or general private employers,” Glod says.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How opposition to this movement frames the conversation around the distinction between federal and private employers

– Why it’s more of a “delay the box” than a true ban and how Glod sees it as a “waste of time”

– What an order of non-disclosure means in Texas and why it’s a better option than banning the box

Listen to the full interview in the audio player above.