NEWBURGH – The ban the box initiative, which leaves out the question
of if a municipal job applicant has a criminal record, has been adopted
by a handful of communities in the Hudson Valley, Newburgh and Beacon
among them.
Now, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney is urging businesses and other communities
in the region to join the initiative.
The goal of ban the box is to provide increased opportunities for qualified
job applicants whose preliminary applications may be tossed in the round
file because they checked a box indicating a criminal record.
“Our criminal justice system is broken from start to finish. We
say we want folks who serve their time to get a job when they leave the
system, but all too often the job applications make it impossible for
them to get a fair shot,” Maloney said. “Companies and communities
across New York have joined together to ban the box and ensure that job
applications no longer prevent millions of qualified Americans from being
considered for jobs – working together we should break down the
barriers for those struggling to put their lives back together.”
