Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has issued Administrative Order 2013-1 to ‘Ban the Box’ and prohibit state agencies under his jurisdiction from asking job applicants about their criminal histories before evaluating their knowledge, skills, and abilities for the job. The administrative order is available in PDF format at http://www.illinois.gov/Government/ExecOrders/Documents/2013/adminorder-2013-1.pdf.
“A law-abiding citizen’s past mistakes should not serve as a lifetime barrier to employment. Creating opportunities for ex-offenders to obtain gainful employment and reach their full potential as a member of society is one of the most effective tools for reducing recidivism,” Governor Quinn stated in a press release available on the Illinois Government News Network at http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=11626.
Administrative Order 2013-1 instructs the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) – the state agency responsible for receiving job applications and administering the state’s personnel policies – to issue new guidelines for screening candidates for jobs in agencies, boards and commissions but does not prevent them from performing background checks or drug-testing when relevant to a position’s duties.
According to a ‘Ban the Box’ Resource Guide from the National Employment Law Project (NELP), several states and more than 50 cities and counties across the United States that have adopted similar legislation. The Resource Guide from NELP, a non-profit organization that focuses on issues affecting low-wage and unemployed workers, is at http://nelp.3cdn.net/495bf1d813cadb030d_qxm6b9zbt.pdf.
A study from NELP titled ‘65 Million Need Not Apply’ found that more than one in four adults in the United States had criminal records. The study estimated that 64.6 million people – representing 27.8 percent of the U.S. adult population – had a criminal record for either an arrest or a conviction on file with states. The study from NELP is at http://nelp.3cdn.net/e9231d3aee1d058c9e_55im6wopc.pdf.
The ‘Ban the Box’ movement is one of the ‘ESR Top Ten Background Check Trends’ selected by Attorney Lester Rosen, Founder and CEO of Employment Screening Resources® (ESR), a nationwide background check company accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®). The ESR Top Ten Trends are at http://www.esrcheck.com/ESR-Top-Ten-Background-Check-Trends.php.
Sources:
http://www.illinois.gov/Government/ExecOrders/Documents/2013/adminorder-2013-1.pdf
http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=11626
http://nelp.3cdn.net/495bf1d813cadb030d_qxm6b9zbt.pdf
http://nelp.3cdn.net/e9231d3aee1d058c9e_55im6wopc.pdf
About Employment Screening Resources® (ESR):
Founded by safe hiring expert Attorney Lester Rosen in 1997, Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority®’– provides accurate and actionable information that empowers employers to make informed hiring decisions for the benefit of their organizations, employees, and the public. Founder and CEO Rosen literally wrote the book on background checks with ‘The Safe Hiring Manual’ and ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®), a distinction held by a small percent of screening firms. Employers choosing ESR know they have selected an agency meeting the highest industry standards. For more information about ESR, visit http://www.ESRcheck.com or call Toll Free 888.999.4474.
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