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St. Louis mayor agrees to hire felons
By St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) October 15, 2014 6:50 am
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ST. LOUIS -- Mayor Francis Slay announced on Tuesday that St. Louis will no longer require applicants for city jobs to disclose felony convictions.
"Millions of Americans have been convicted of felonies. Many of them have paid their debt to society and are willing to earn a second chance," Slay said at a press conference. "If we automatically disqualify all of them, and none of them can get jobs, we should not be surprised if some of them wind up back behind bars from committing more crimes."
Slay said the city will do screening on a case-by-case situations, but job applications will no longer have a check-box asking applicants about their criminal history.
"We would not hire a child molester for recreational programs," Slay said. "We would not hire an embezzler to handle money."
The announcement comes as regional leaders grapple with the unrest in Ferguson following the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Protesters have used the situation to shine a light on problems such as racial discord, police tactics, and poverty.
Slay made the announcement while standing next to Jamilah Nasheed, a state senator who has appeared on the front lines of many of the Ferguson protests.
"This is how you fight crime," Nasheed said. "You fight crime with jobs."
Officials said some people may not apply for jobs thinking a conviction would automatically disqualify them.
"If you get out of prison and you can't get a job, you can't provide for yourself or your family," Slay said.
Some jobs are subject to regulations and legally required background checks, such as at the airport or police department.
The push, known as "ban the box," is part of a national movement. Many large cities across the nation have already done so. Some, including Philadelphia, have even prohibited city employers from including the box on job applications.
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2014/10/1.../?subscriber=1
By St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) October 15, 2014 6:50 am
Text Size: A A A
ST. LOUIS -- Mayor Francis Slay announced on Tuesday that St. Louis will no longer require applicants for city jobs to disclose felony convictions."Millions of Americans have been convicted of felonies. Many of them have paid their debt to society and are willing to earn a second chance," Slay said at a press conference. "If we automatically disqualify all of them, and none of them can get jobs, we should not be surprised if some of them wind up back behind bars from committing more crimes."
Slay said the city will do screening on a case-by-case situations, but job applications will no longer have a check-box asking applicants about their criminal history.
"We would not hire a child molester for recreational programs," Slay said. "We would not hire an embezzler to handle money."
The announcement comes as regional leaders grapple with the unrest in Ferguson following the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Protesters have used the situation to shine a light on problems such as racial discord, police tactics, and poverty.
Slay made the announcement while standing next to Jamilah Nasheed, a state senator who has appeared on the front lines of many of the Ferguson protests.
"This is how you fight crime," Nasheed said. "You fight crime with jobs."
Officials said some people may not apply for jobs thinking a conviction would automatically disqualify them.
"If you get out of prison and you can't get a job, you can't provide for yourself or your family," Slay said.
Some jobs are subject to regulations and legally required background checks, such as at the airport or police department.
The push, known as "ban the box," is part of a national movement. Many large cities across the nation have already done so. Some, including Philadelphia, have even prohibited city employers from including the box on job applications.
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2014/10/1.../?subscriber=1
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