A proposal to expand California’s “ban the box†policy was introduced on February 24th by California Assemblymember Roger Dickinson. AB 1831 is modeled on the “ban the box†hiring process for state and public employees adopted in 2010.  AB 1831 aims at removing the criminal background check requirements from the initial hiring process for city and county workers across the state.
“This bill would prohibit a local agency from inquiring into or considering the criminal history of an applicant or including any inquiry about criminal history on any initial employment application. The bill would authorize a local agency to consider an applicant’s criminal history after the applicant’s qualifications have been screened and the agency has determined the applicant meets the minimum employment requirements, as stated in any notice issued for the position.â€
Proponents of the bill claim it would reduce unnecessary barriers to employment for the one in four adult Californians who have an arrest or conviction record.
Research conducted over the past 20 years reveals that the recidivism rates of ex-offenders have held steady over the past 17 years. A Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Recidivism Study of Released Prisoners found that 67.5% of prisoners released in 1994 were rearrested within 3 years. And a 2011 Pew Center study found that recidivism rates have held steady since 1994.
If passed, California would join five states and over 30 counties across the U.S. that have adopted similar legislation.
