Resources
Background Checks
Ban the Box: 2023 Update
Banning the box legislation has been the top trend to watch in background checks and hiring for a decade and counting. Despite significant state and local progress, that trend still shows no signs of slowing. Efforts to provide workers with a “fair chance” continue. In some states, that has led to discussions around possible efforts to ban background checks altogether.
An Update on Clean Slate Legislation
For years, getting convictions expunged or sealed has been an option available for some individuals with criminal histories. Misdemeanor offenses, long-ago convictions, one-off crimes with no repeat offenses or other convictions to indicate a pattern of bad behavior: these types of criminal records are and have long been eligible for expungement. Over the past few years, though, as the ban the box and Fair Chance hiring movements have gained momentum across the nation, there has been another movement forming: one aimed at removing barriers that have previously rendered expungement inaccessible to many who are technically eligible.
Ban the Box? Some Municipalities Go the Other Way
Providing a path back to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals is a common goal, but not every locale is on board with the sweeping "ban the box" movement. While many areas place restrictions on when and how an employer can consider someone's criminal record, some have chosen to go in the opposite direction. Instead of banning the box, these municipalities want to make one message clear: felons need not apply.
Resources
Background Checks
