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Gov. Nixon bans criminal record check box on state job applications
On Monday, January 11, Gov. Jay Nixon signed an executive order to “ban the box” that ex-offenders normally have to check on employment applications for state jobs, in hopes of helping people with criminal histories re-enter the workforce.
Executive Order 16-04 will do away with questions relating to criminal history on initial applications, though employers can request information about criminal backgrounds later in the hiring process.
“Ban the box” policies have been implemented in 21 states, and a number of corporations have adopted the policy, including Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Koch Industries, Starbucks and Facebook. The governor’s executive order applies to all departments, agencies and boards and commissions in the executive branch. The state has 50,000 employees.
“The action I’m taking today will ensure that state government continues to be a model for increasing economic opportunity, improving public safety and strengthening communities,” Nixon said at a press conference held at the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment downtown.
“This is about fairness. Giving folks a fair chance to redeem their lives, support their families and make a contribution to their communities is a value we share as Missourians and as Americans.”
Formerly incarcerated individuals frequently encounter challenges in obtaining employment, which makes it more difficult for them to successfully assimilate back into society, Nixon said. According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, the unemployment rate for Missourians on parole in 2015 was 44 percent.
Proponents of the “Ban the Box” movement see the removal of the box as an advance in fair hiring practices. State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) introduced a bill to “Ban the Box” earlier this session (Senate Bill 724). With the bill stalled in committee, Nasheed launched an online petition urging Nixon to implement the policy via executive order that has gathered hundreds of signatures throughout the state.
“Far too often, former offenders knock on the door of opportunity only to have it slammed in their faces,” Nasheed said. “A non-violent criminal record should not be a pretense for employers to deny an individual without giving him or her a chance to explain for themselves.”
State Rep. Michael Butler (D-St. Louis) of the 79th District supported the movement by sponsoring House Bill 2086.
“Removing barriers like a criminal records check-box is good policy to improving communities with high unemployment rates,” Butler said. “Making this 'fair-chance policy' a practice of the state is a significant first step.”
Several ex-offenders attended the press conference and applauded the executive order’s passage. Eric Schultz, of the Criminal Justice Ministry, said he served two years in prison.
“Once you have that on your record, it’s a game changer,” he said. He said he was lucky to get a job working with other ex-offenders, after his other job applications were passed over.
Toni Jordan works for Let’s Start, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting women in transition from prison life to society. Jordan first went to prison for six months when she was 23, and then again at 40 for 30 months. It was all related to drug addiction, she said.
“This is part of my past, but it’s not who I am,” she said.
Although the executive order only effects state job openings, Nixon hopes to send a strong message to corporations and others institutions in the state, he said.
“These men and women have paid their debt to society and are attempting to successfully return to their communities as productive, law-abiding citizens,” Nixon said. “By giving these Missourians a fair chance to get a job and support their families, ‘ban the box’ policies can help to break the cycle of crime and incarceration.”
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