Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Mayor Yarber: Ban the box

Mayor Tony Yarber just issued the following press release:


Mayor Tony Yarber Announces “Ban the Box” Initiative

Mayor Tony Yarber was joined by Jackson City Council President De’Keither Stamps and Councilman Charles Tillman on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to announce an initiative to “Ban the Box” on job applications in the City of Jackson.

“Ban the Box” refers to the policy of removing from job applications the check-box that asks about criminal history. If employers must ask about convictions, they can ask later in the hiring process. The initiative is an effort to give citizens who have a criminal record and have paid their debt to society a “fair chance” to be judged on their qualifications when applying for a job. Currently, 13 states and more than 70 cities and counties have adopted “fair chance” policies.

Yarber said the initiative will begin as a city policy change, which will be implemented by early 2015. The Mayor has urged the City Council to support the effort, through a resolution or possibly an ordinance, to ensure that the policy remains in effect beyond the current administration. The Mayor also called on businesses in the city and other municipalities to “Ban the Box.”

“Research shows that supporting the employment opportunities of people with records creates safe communities, reduces childhood poverty, and strengthens families,” Yarber said.

The policy wouldn’t prohibit background checks. The Mayor said the goal is to keep applicants from being disqualified at the beginning of the hiring process.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought having a record helped with getting a job with the city of Jackson

Anonymous said...

"“Research shows that supporting the employment opportunities of people with records creates safe communities, reduces childhood poverty, and strengthens families,” Yarber said."

I've seen something like this before.

It was in the fields, below the cattle.

Anonymous said...

Some cities have an on the job training version of Ban the Box. You start public employment off with a clean slate and leave as a convicted felon.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 1:32. I cite Louis Armstrong as Exhibit No. 1.

Anonymous said...

Of all the things for the City to spend time on, this is nuts. What is below a 3rd world country, the City of Jackson?

Anonymous said...

"Yeah, 1:32. I cite Louis Armstrong as Exhibit No. 1. "

What does NOLA's most famous resident have to do with jackassery in Jackson, MS?

Anonymous said...

How can we decide who gets the Keys to The City if we don't know who has the longest rap sheet?

Anonymous said...

He's not talking about the trumpet player......

Anonymous said...

First, he raises the minimum wage for the bloated City of Jackson employees. Now he wants to open the hiring process to felons (hope he is not including the search for additional police in this process). All the while traveling throughout the country attending fundraisers being put on by engineering firms hoping to jump on the infrastructure bandwagon - the same wagon that he says he wants to force the use of local companies. Beginning to miss the good old days when the mayor didn't do anything but study the issue. At least then we didn't get terrible ideas implemented.

Anonymous said...

This is so sad. But hey, Kamikaze likes the idea.

Anonymous said...

Jackson is a sewer, run by Democrat thugs. This should surprise no one.

Anonymous said...

Open the doors to convicted felons? Apparently the City of Jackson already has affirmative action for city employees.

Anonymous said...

I live in the "sewer" and love it here. Why do you care enough to blog about it, 5:28??

I can live anywhere I want to, but choose Jackson. Why does that chap you so badly?

Repeating. I LOVE JACKSON AND LIVING HERE. WHY DO YOU CARE?

Anonymous said...

What does A meal wilson say about forgiven felons on his meal ticket?

Anonymous said...

No worries eveyone. We have Whole Foods, The District, and two of my neighbors are building houses in the city of Jackson. Nothing to see here. All is well.

Anonymous said...

Rotflmao.
This is a fun group

Anonymous said...

For those in rankin county who can't figure this out. This says nothing about hiring convicted criminals. It only says taking the box off the application.

Anonymous said...

In infrastructure and construction--you need a strong back--you photocopy the two IDs-- you hire them...

Now if you have a new police recruitment program and on top of that a lending operation--its going to take a some time.

Anonymous said...

Another bonehead move by Kingfish's handpicked Mayor.

Anonymous said...

Felons can't work in banking, any medical field, can't be bonded and can't vote. Let the sewer city hire them out of pity. No reputable firm will touch them and the city is certainly not reputable.

QueenBee said...

Listen guys, I'm not big fan of the Mayor, but....before you get down on the mayor, it may behoove you to look at the states that have already have this in place. It's actually NOT a bad idea. It has great successes in other states. The way I see it, it's better to have them get a job, than have people complain about offenders being a drain on our tax dollars! You can't have it both ways!

http://www.nelp.org/page/-/SCLP/Ban-the-Box.Current.pdf?nocdn=1

Anonymous said...

Just because some criminal served their time (debt to society) does not mean that they have changed their character that landed them in prison in the first place.
Of course, there may be a few exceptions where these lawbreakers decide to walk the straight and narrow once they are free, but I imagine that is a rare happening.
Yes, just let the criminals out with a clean slate so they carry out their future crimes on unsuspecting folks.
Something seems a bit off with this idea. Almost like a crime against law-abiding citizens.

Anonymous said...

Jesus H. Christ.

Can you people read? Nothing about removing this single box off of an application wipes a convicted felon's record clean. Nothing about removing this single box off of an application says the employer cannot ask the applicant at an interview whether the applicant has a criminal record.
Removing the box simply means employers will actually look at the application - rather than see if the box is checked and then throw it in the garbage can.

Some of you will just never be happy with anything. You hate your job (or something in your personal life), get home, and are mad, then look at this website and damn if you don't find something to target with your anger.
You cannot say "I'm tired of government assistance programs" with one breath, then say "These people should not have a chance to get a job" in the next breath. At least be consistent with your bitching.

These boxes aren't on applications for salaried positions, people. This is for the fast-food industry and service industry, in general. Places where you would never work to begin with...

Anonymous said...

They must not have a clean pool of candidates to fill their needs?

Next Question said...

First step is to remove it from the app. Second step is to make it 'company policy' that the question will not be asked.

A few years ago a certain well known (now deposed) legislator attempted to make it state law that this question could not be asked during the interview state and it could not be on applications.

Whatever it takes to keep black applicants radar-free and moved toward the front of the line. God forbid we investigate inappropriate behavior in light of the exposure the open position presents for repeat behavior.

There are hundreds of court cases where employers have been successfully sued for hiring people whose prior criminal behaviors repeated and people were raped or killed.

Sooner or later applications will not be allowed. You will only need to sign up and the first on the list gets the job. Qualifications and background checks will be out the window.

Anonymous said...

So a convicted pedophile with a Jackson city ID badge knocks on my front door when only my daughter happens to be home...

If you're still living in Jackson, why?

Anonymous said...

I love it here 4:39. My question is: "Why would you ask or care?"

Answer honestly. Why do you ask or care??

Anonymous said...

Now some of these thugs want a job just like law-abiding taxpayers. The nerve! Let em eat dirt or better still learn how to steal to eat. That'll teach em.

Anonymous said...

6:00

If they're sincere reformed (thugs) let them work in the ministry or counseling. If they're not (reformed), let 'em eat dirt.

Next Please said...

It is already a federal employment law violation to engage in unlawful discrimination in the hiring process. Thankfully, though, convicted felon is not among the growing list of 'protected groups'.

The EEOC, using its typical Nutty Analysis Protocol (NAP), will always find an employer rejected a disproportionate number of minorities by way of rejecting felons' applications for work. Never mind that they, themselves, disproportionately commit more crimes.

It is not illegal to hire a convicted felon, nor should it be illegal to inquire or to reject the application of one for legitimate business reasons.

You can bet your sweet ass this question will never be removed from an application for any federal job.

Anonymous said...

Have these folks ever hired anyone in their life? What a stupid idea. Let's omit the box and give them a chance, but you can check their background later in the process. As if later in the process the employer would have a different reaction. In don't know about the city, but in the real world all this does is disqualify the person later in the process. And if the former felon makes it to the short list, he is taking someone's place on that list who may have actually had a chance to get the job.

Anonymous said...

RE: 8:40 a.m.
"Jesus H. Christ"
"Blah, blah, blah..."

Any depraved person who begins their diatribe in such an offensive manner deserves the anguish in which they obviously find themselves day after day.
Pity that empty person.



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