JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Jay Nixon “banned the box” Tuesday for applications for employment at state agencies, allowing some potential employees with a criminal history to avoid disclosing their past on initial applications.
Nixon signed executive order 16-04, which directs all departments, agencies, boards and commissions in the Executive Branch to amend initial employment applications by removing questions relating to an individual’s criminal history unless a criminal history would render an applicant specifically ineligible for the position.
“This is about fairness,” Nixon said in a statement. “Giving folks a fair chance to redeem their lives, support their families and make a contribution to their communities is a value we share as Missourians and as Americans.”
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed attended the event at the the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, where Nixon signed the bill. She has been an outspoken advocate for banning the box in Missouri, campaigning on the issue and pushing the governor to issue the executive order.
“It was a great day for many of our citizens throughout the state of Missouri,” Nasheed said. “Now they have a chance for a second opportunity.”
Nasheed said many job applicants with a criminal record will see their application thrown into the trash immediately because of their past. Often, she said, they will be forced to turn back to a life of crime. She thanked the governor for his action, opening up the state’s larger employer for thousands of people.
“This is the first step of many,” she said. Her next step will involve filing legislation to call on private businesses to do the same thing, hoping it sparks a conversation so they get rid of the question on their own.
In November, Nasheed wrote a letter to supporters urging Nixon to “ban the box.”
“How can we expect former offenders to put food on the table and contribute to society if we make it impossible for them to find employment?” she wrote. “They’ve paid their debts and deserve a real second chance. Now, lets tear down the barriers that prevent them from returning to our communities. The state of Missouri should set an example for the private sector. We’ll still have the option to run employee background checks. Banning the box just means that former offenders won’t immediately be removed from consideration because of a single checkmark.”
Through the executive order, Nixon hopes to set an example for other businesses to help decrease unemployment among for those on parole.
Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, chairman of the Black Caucus, applauded the order.
“Thanks to the governor’s action today, state agencies will no longer automatically turn away qualified job applicants due to past mistakes that resulted in them having criminal records. I have sponsored legislation to ‘ban the box’ in state employment every year since 2011, including this year’s House Bill 1512, and strongly support the governor for taking the initiative to implement this important policy change.
“Disqualifying people from even being considered for job based on their past record is counterproductive on several levels. It not only denies people the opportunity to earn a living to support themselves and their families, it deprives employers of access to many talented and hard-working people who would make great employees if only given the chance.”
According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, the unemployment rate for Missourians on parole in 2015 was 44 percent.
“These men and women have paid their debt to society and are attempting to successfully return to their communities as productive, law-abiding citizens,” Gov. Nixon said. “By giving these Missourians a fair chance to get a job and support their families, ‘ban the box’ policies can help to break the cycle of crime and incarceration.”
Some corporations, including Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Koch Industries, Starbucks and Facebook have already adopted similar policies for their employment applications.
