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U.S. to Curb Queries on Criminal Histories of Government Job Seekers U.S. to Curb Queries on Criminal Histories of Government Job Seekers
(about 20 hours later)
WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday will move to bar federal agencies from asking applicants for tens of thousands of government jobs about their criminal histories until the very end of the process. WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday moved to bar federal agencies from asking applicants for tens of thousands of government jobs about their criminal histories until the very end of the process.
While checks of criminal histories have become routine in the public and private sectors, a regulation being proposed by the Obama administration would remove a barrier that discourages many freed prisoners from applying for jobs. The rule would prevent supervisors interviewing applicants for about half of all federal positions from asking about a job seeker’s criminal or credit history until a conditional offer is made. While checks of criminal histories have become routine in the public and private sectors, a regulation proposed by the Obama administration would remove a barrier that discourages many freed prisoners from applying for jobs. The rule would prevent supervisors interviewing applicants for about half of all federal positions from asking about a job seeker’s criminal or credit history until a conditional offer is made.
The ban is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to ease the path back to society for some 600,000 people released from prison each year and promote what it says are fairer and more effective criminal justice policies. The administration announced related steps earlier in the week, including a push for states to issue identification to newly freed prisoners.The ban is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to ease the path back to society for some 600,000 people released from prison each year and promote what it says are fairer and more effective criminal justice policies. The administration announced related steps earlier in the week, including a push for states to issue identification to newly freed prisoners.
Valerie Jarrett, a top adviser to President Obama, told reporters on Thursday that, in its effort to help inmates “thrive as productive law-abiding citizens” after their release, the administration had secured pledges from 112 companies and groups to also follow its policy, known as “ban the box.” Those companies and groups employ 1.5 million people. Valerie Jarrett, a top adviser to President Obama, told reporters that, in its effort to help inmates “thrive as productive law-abiding citizens” after their release, the administration had secured pledges from 112 companies and groups to also follow its policy, known as “ban the box.” Those companies and groups employ 1.5 million people.
Officials said that policies requiring applicants to check a box if they have a criminal history discourage many freed prisoners even though they may still be eligible for the jobs. “This is a big step and one that will truly make a difference,” Ms. Jarrett said.
Mr. Obama directed officials in November to develop details for the new regulation. It will be published online on Friday, and the public will then have 60 days to submit comments before a final rule is issued. Officials said that policies requiring applicants to check a box if they have a criminal history discourage many freed prisoners from applying for jobs even though they may still be eligible.
Mr. Obama directed officials in November to develop details for the new regulation. It was published online on Friday, and the public will have 60 days to submit comments before a final rule is issued.
“The federal government, I believe, should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications,” Mr. Obama said in a speech at Rutgers University. “We can’t dismiss people out of hand simply because of a mistake that they made in the past.”“The federal government, I believe, should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications,” Mr. Obama said in a speech at Rutgers University. “We can’t dismiss people out of hand simply because of a mistake that they made in the past.”
But the new policy will not go as far as some employee rights’ groups had hoped. Federal contractors will be encouraged, but not required, to follow the ban, officials said. If a final rule is enacted, Congress will still have a chance to reverse it under a legislative mechanism that kicks in during the closing months of an administration, though it is unclear whether Republican leaders will seek to do so.
Beth F. Cobert, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, said she expected that the ban would apply to about half of some 200,000 positions that were filled last year. The initiative has attracted no significant opposition on Capitol Hill. Many Democrats have supported the idea — calling on the administration to impose it on contractors and federal agencies alike — and even some conservative groups have voiced support for it.
But the new policy will not go as far as some employee rights’ groups had hoped. Federal contractors will be encouraged, but not required, to follow the ban, officials said, and that will leave thousands of federal contracting jobs exempt from the change.
Beth F. Cobert, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, said she expected that the ban would apply to about half of some 200,000 government positions that were filled last year.
Some classes of federal jobs would be exempt from the policy, and a criminal history would remain an automatic disqualifier for some positions in law enforcement and other areas.Some classes of federal jobs would be exempt from the policy, and a criminal history would remain an automatic disqualifier for some positions in law enforcement and other areas.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch plans to highlight the new policy at an appearance on Friday at the federal prison in Talladega, Ala. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch highlighted the new policy at an appearance on Friday at the federal prison in Talladega, Ala. The administration held dozens of public events this week to bring attention to the difficulties faced by inmates — many of them low-risk drug offenders, officials say — as they return to society.
Several workers’ rights groups and liberal organizations praised the administration’s efforts.
Christine Owens, the executive director of the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group based in New York, said that the effort to help released inmates work and resume their lives was “one of the key civil rights issues of our time,” and that Mr. Obama’s action reflected “the role of the federal government as a model employer.”
She said that the estimated 70 million people with criminal records in the United States “should be able to contribute their diverse talents and skills to the federal work force without unreasonable and discriminatory barriers.”