FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
CJ Frogozo, CJ@FitzGibbonMedia.com, 310-570-2622
Kayla Keller, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 281-682-6212
View petition here: http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ban_the_box
Oakland, CA – Today, ColorOfChange.org electronically delivered more than 5,500 petition signatures urging Governor Jerry Brown to sign “Ban the Box” legislation (AB 218) into law, which would make it harder for public sector employers to discriminate against formerly incarcerated job seekers. The legislation removes the deeply prejudicial checkbox disclosure of prior convictions from government job applications, and helps ensure that employers are not violating federal civil rights laws. Employers will still be permitted to conduct criminal background checks for qualified applicants later in the hiring process.
Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorofChange said, “Today, we sent a strong message to Gov. Brown that hiring discrimination has no place in government. Forcing applicants with a prior conviction to check a box only extends the harmful impact of mass incarceration throughout a persons life. Once “Ban the Box” legislation is signed into law employers will still have the discretion to choose the best candidate for the job, but these decisions will be based on skills, potential and qualifications. Currently, qualified applicants are barred from even receiving a fair chance at a job.”
“Due to continued prejudice in the criminal justice system, Black families and communities are disproportionately impacted by overincarceration and the high unemployment that results. Banning “the box” is a critical step towards curbing the hiring discrimination faced by so many Black Californians and strengthening the California economy for all. Signing the bill will also help bring the state into compliance with a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding and exploding rates of recidivism.”
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With more than 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest Black online civil rights organization.