New London eliminates criminal conviction box from job applications
New London — In a decision Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio called an issue of “fundamental fairness,” the city is removing the section on job applications that asks about prior criminal history.
The Personnel Board, in a 3-0 vote, passed the measure on Monday.
Zachary Leavy, a member of the board and also a member of the mayor's re-election campaign team, said the move coincides with a national “Ban the Box” civil rights movement and prevents what he called "a taint" on the hiring process.
He said checking the box that asks about a criminal conviction in some cases will unfairly disqualify an applicant before there is a real assessment of qualifications.
Leavy, and fellow board members Ryan Henowitz and Shawn Procuniar, voted at Monday’s meeting. Finizio, who is an ex-officio member, said he spoke in favor.
“People are more than a box on a form, and people are more than their past mistakes,” Finizio said.
This decision will encourage a wider pool of applicants, hopefully from within the city, and open doors for ex-offenders, Finizio said.
“There are people here in New London with criminal records that have grown beyond that. They deserve the opportunity to move on with their lives,” Finizio said.
A criminal background check will still be conducted and any criminal background will be considered in the hiring process.
“We reserve the right not to hire any applicant whose criminal history compromises their ability to do the job for which they’ve applied," Finizio said in a statement. "However, I’m proud that the City of New London will not automatically exclude candidates because of their criminal convictions, and I hope that more employers follow our example."
Tamara Lanier, vice president of the New London branch of the NAACP, said Norwich was the first city in the state to eliminate the question from city job applications, thanks to a push by former City Alderwoman Jacqueline Caron, who herself had a past criminal history.
Norwich in 2008 approved an ordinance altering job application procedures.
Lanier called it “common sense criminal justice reform.”
“Traditionally, those locked out of employment opportunities have been young men and women of color,” Lanier said. “You could be an impeccable candidate besides that one misstep. We’re closing the door on people’s faces too early out of the gate. It isn’t a mandate that says you have to ignore the criminal history. It just puts it at the end of the process instead of the beginning of the process.”
Finizio said the changes would be immediate.
Prior job application forms asked, “Have you been convicted of any offense other than a minor traffic violation? List all convictions.”
He said the Personnel Board’s move is in line with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Second Chance Society initiative and part of a nationwide movement championed by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
New London Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard said the move would not affect the process of hiring of police officers, which draws candidates from eligibility lists from the Law Enforcement Council of Connecticut and PoliceApps.com.
The state’s Police Officer Standards and Training Council sets hiring standards for police officers and thorough criminal background checks are conducted for all applicants, he said.
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