Oakland County One-Fifteen News reported that the City Council of Ferndale, Michigan voted to remove criminal history questions from employment applications [1]. For people who have criminal records, finding decent jobs can be next to impossible. It does not matter if a person with a conviction has truly turned their life around, they must still place an “x” in the criminal history box when asked.
Ferndale is not alone in adopting this policy of “banning the box”. Cities like Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Kalamazoo have also adopted this practice in the hopes of offering people a fair chance to start over [1].
Criminal histories will still be reviewed and background checks still conducted, but by “banning the box” these cities are allowing people with criminal records a fair chance to better themselves and start over.
Stay tuned to Rights First Law for more on this and other legal news.
Rights First Law, P.C. is a Metro Detroit law firm working exclusively in criminal defense. We emphasize client-centered lawyering by putting clients and their rights first. Our clients know at Rights First Law we work with you to protect your rights.