Barack Obama to ban criminal history section on government job applications

Barack Obama to ban criminal history section on government job applications

US President Barack Obama has announced applicants for some federal government jobs won’t be asked if they have a criminal record, in a bid to address discrimination against former offenders.

The decision to “ban the box” on federal employment applications comes as part of a broader package of criminal-justice reforms intended to help ex-prisoners stay out of prison. The new policy also applies to federal contractors.

“We’ve got to make sure that people who’ve paid their debt to society can earn a second chance,” the president said. “We can’t have the criminal justice system carrying the entire load of society’s ills.”

Mr Obama announced the change during a visit to a substance-abuse treatment program in New Jersey on Monday, describing it as part of a broader effort to reintegrate ex-prisoners into society — at a time when US prisons hold 2.2 million inmates.

“There’s people who have been through tough times. They’ve made mistakes. But with a little help they can get on the right path,” Mr Obama said at the Integrity House drug treatment centre.

Obama speaks on criminal justice reform

Mr Obama said he is not suggesting that potential employers “ignore” criminal records. Under the new order, the feds can still ask about an applicant’s record but must wait until later in the interview and hiring process.

The US leader said the key to repairing the criminal justice system — and the “vicious cycle” of crime and poverty — is giving former felons a second chance.

He noted that millions of Americans have problems even “getting a foot in the door” because of questions about past convictions. About 70 million Americans have some sort of criminal record. An estimated 600,000 inmates leave prison each year.

“We can’t dismiss people out of hand simply because of a mistake that they made in the past,” Mr Obama said.

Mr Obama met with former convicts trying to move beyond their past crimes. Among them were Stephanie Luna, who pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.

Her conviction could have put her away for 20 years, but instead she is receiving drug treatment at Integrity House — and managed to get a hug from the president for trying to turn around her life.

Mr Obama also mentioned Ashley Sinclair, who he said spent most of her 21 years on the streets and became involved in crime — only to get on a better path and land a job with a local sanitation department.

“So today, instead of getting in trouble on the streets, she’s earned a pay cheque cleaning up those streets,” Mr Obama said.

The New York City Council enacted similar legislation last summer that prohibits businesses from asking about prior convictions in initial applications.

The White House also announced $US8 million in grants to educate felons and provide job training. The announcement coincides with the release of about 6000 drug felons from prisons nationwide.