KC will consider 'ban the box,' taking criminal history questions off job applications

A small group of city council members, pastors and crime prevention advocates rallied Monday in favor of banning questions on applications about job candidates’ criminal histories.

The “ban the box” effort has been embraced by seven states and more than 40 cities, said City Councilman Jermaine Reed, who is sponsoring the proposal. It will be considered by city council members on Wednesday.

The measure would eliminate the need for city job applicants to check a box if they have a criminal background.

“We believe that people are more than their criminal record,” Reed said. He emphasized that the city would still do background checks before hiring anyone, but checking the box would not automatically disqualify someone from consideration.

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