IL Governor Bars Employers From Asking Applicants About Felony Records

[green73]

Illinoisans with a felony on their records will no longer be asked that when they apply for state jobs.

Promoting the decision to what he calls “Ban the Box,” State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) says the governor’s administrative order doesn’t mean employers will be required to hire ex-cons.

“I think that it’s important that employers hire the best qualified person that they feel comfortable with for the job,” Ford says. “Employers in private (business) or state agencies should never hire a person that appears to not be a fit for the job.”

Ford gives an example of someone he knows who would benefit: a retiree who had a pocket knife in his pocket 50 years ago. As for the really bad guys, Ford says they’re unlikely to apply for a legit job anyway.

As for himself, the lawmaker says he anticipates federal bank fraud charges against him –- unrelated to his service in the General Assembly -– being tossed out of court soon.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/10/07/governor-bars-employers-from-asking-applicants-about-felony-records/

[angelatc]

Ford gives an example of someone he knows who would benefit: a retiree who had a pocket knife in his pocket 50 years ago.

The solution is to either stop making non-violent crimes felonies. Second best is to allow for a process to have certain offenses eligible to be expunged after some period of good behavior.

The best solution is to improve the economy. My husband used to work with a guy who did time for murder. That is a felony, and he had a job.

[Cowlesy]

My favorite line from the article:


As for himself, the lawmaker says he anticipates federal bank fraud charges against him –- unrelated to his service in the General Assembly -– being tossed out of court soon.

They really should just dissolve all the Illinois state and municipal (at least in city areas) governments. It's just a total rat's nest.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Back in the late '90's the government placed a time limit on how long you could receive welfare benefits. Well, everywhere except the District of Columbia... They got an exception.

What resulted was a MASS MIGRATION of welfare recipients.

I see IL is following suite...

-t

[Keith and stuff]

If this is just for government workers, it is a great idea. It would more sense to end the ear on drugs and defensive weapons but I don't see IL doing that.

[69360]

My favorite line from the article:



They really should just dissolve all the Illinois state and municipal (at least in city areas) governments. It's just a total rat's nest.

But Obama learned everything he knows there...

[angelatc]

But Obama learned everything he knows there...

And one of the first things he did after he was elected POTUS was to move the DNC HQ there.

[daviddee]

...

[better-dead-than-fed]

The process of penalizing people, beyond their prison sentence, pushes the majority of felons into 3 options:

1. Open their own business.
2. Work at low end jobs (supermarkets, restaurants, car washes, etc.)
3. Embrace being an outlaw and continue committing crimes.

If someone is sentenced to prison, serves their time, and "pays their debt to society" then it should be over.

The continued elimination of rights and deprivation of employment is merely an extension of the original prison sentence. An extension that is clearly never factored on sentencing day... (Lifetime deprivation of gainful employment)

Agreed, and also noting that employers who pass over a good prospective employee will get burnt for it, insofar as the market is free. If a convict was good at selling drugs, he'd probably be ahead of the curve selling your product too.

[Cabal]

While I do think criminal records have a very negative impact on employment opportunities, and thus this can be a real problem for many people, this obviously isn't the solution to that problem, as it's trying to treat the symptom rather than the disease. The disease, of course, or at least in large part, being too many 'crimes'--reference non-violent and/or victimless crimes. The other part of it is desperation produced by statism that encourages criminality. This is not to say violent criminals are not without responsibility, but I tend to suspect that statism (and the many externalities which result) creates more violent criminals than does 'natural inclinations toward violent crime', and part of that encouragement extends from leaving people with a 'criminal' record with limited viable alternative options.

[Occam's Banana]

“I think that it’s important that employers hire the best qualified person that they feel comfortable with for the job,” Ford says. “Employers in private (business) or state agencies should never hire a person that appears to not be a fit for the job.”

So of course, it naturally follows from this that the government should forbid employers from asking for certain information - you know, so that they can "hire the best qualified person that they feel comfortable with for the job."


The solution is to [...] stop making non-violent crimes felonies.

But ... but ... if that were done ...
How would corporations in the Prison-Industrial Complex be able to maintain their earnings?
How would politicians be able to develop new opportunities to pander to "law and order" constituents?
How would prosecutors be able to pad their resumes and intimidate defendants into plea bargains with multiple-count indictments?
How would law enforcement agencies be able to justify their budgets or provide opportunities for career advancement to their agents?
How would ... etc., etc., ad infinitum et nauseum ...

Chaos! Lawlessness! Anarchy!!! :eek:

[mad cow]

The Guv just wants to insure himself a spot at the trough if he,like 4 out of the last 7 Illinois Governors,gets tossed in the slammer.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8973798

[angelatc]

The continued elimination of rights and deprivation of employment is merely an extension of the original prison sentence. An extension that is clearly never factored on sentencing day... (Lifetime deprivation of gainful employment)

Employers should have the right to ask anybody anything.

[better-dead-than-fed]

Employers should have the right to ask anybody anything.

Definitely, and as long as the vile albatross of government persists, government employees in charge of hiring should be forced to maintain a public record of each convict's personal explanation as to why he was convicted of his alleged crime. Derelict government employees should be presumed guilty of Due-Process violations, and subject to UNICOR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICOR) until they can prove their innocence beyond a reasonable doubt, as they are denied the assistance of ethical counsel, and as their legal paperwork is deliberately destroyed by "malfunctioning" prison plumbing.

[Ender]

The process of penalizing people, beyond their prison sentence, pushes the majority of felons into 3 options:

1. Open their own business.
2. Work at low end jobs (supermarkets, restaurants, car washes, etc.)
3. Embrace being an outlaw and continue committing crimes.

If someone is sentenced to prison, serves their time, and "pays their debt to society" then it should be over.

The continued elimination of rights and deprivation of employment is merely an extension of the original prison sentence. An extension that is clearly never factored on sentencing day... (Lifetime deprivation of gainful employment)

Agreed.

Have a friend who, in a state of depression 5 years ago, almost walked out of a bookstore with an unpaid book in his possession. He was stopped by the store security, set free but had to go to trial and pay a $1000 fee. He now can get no real job because of this and has to go through hell to get it expunged from his record.