Why the Kochs Won't Ask About Criminal History on Job Applications Anymore
“The box” gets banned.
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Last month, at a bipartisan conference on criminal justice reform, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal faced a crowded ballroom and beamed with pride. "In Georgia," he said, "we have effectively banned the box."
Most of his audience recognized the expression right away. Others learned more about it as the day went on. "The box," in context, is the section of a job application that asks whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime. "Banning" it is self-explanatory. A simple reform that might prevent peaceful ex-cons from losing (or fearing even to try for) jobs has been picking up momentum.