BEYOND BANNING THE BOX
DR. PAULA IOANIDE
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
ITHACA COLLEGE
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF CULTURE, RACE & ETHNICITY
KEY POINTS
INCREASING LABOR SHORTAGES
PREPARING TOMPKINS COUNTY EMPLOYERS FOR CHANGING LABOR LANDSCAPE
TOMPKINS CO. PROJECTED LABOR GAPS
Source: Workforce Development Board/ JobsEQ
Nationally, 100 million Americans currently have justice system records.
An average of 7 million people cycle through the criminal justice system every year.
BAN THE BOX
WHY EMPLOYERS SHOULD CONSIDER ADOPTING THIS POLICY
EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
Source: Pager, D. (2003). The mark of a criminal record. American Journal of Sociology, 108(5):937–975.
Research shows that employers discriminate against those with criminal records when applicants apply in person for entry level positions, even when other observable characteristics are identical
White Male In-Person Applicants
EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
Black male applicants without a justice system record were more likely to receive callbacks than black male applicants with a record
Source: Pager, D. (2003). The mark of a criminal record. American Journal of Sociology, 108(5):937–975.
Black male applicants without a justice system record were less likely to receive callbacks than white male applicants with criminal records
BAN THE BOX
Ban the Box measures at state and local levels are adopted to decrease employment discrimination for applicants with justice system records
BTB typically exempt jobs in law enforcement, child and nursing care, schools or other areas where background checks are legally required
Eliminates information about criminal record in the initial stages of the application but may still consider criminal history in final decision to hire
IS BANNING THE BOX ENOUGH?
MIXED EFFECTS OF BANNING THE BOX
BTB-ADOPTING VS. NO-BTB AREAS
Source: Doleac, Jennifer L., and Benjamin Hansen. Does “ban the box” help or hurt low-skilled workers? Statistical discrimination and employment outcomes when criminal histories are hidden. No. w22469. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2016.
Black men (25-34), no college
Hispanic men (25-34), no college
BTB-ADOPTING VS. NO-BTB AREAS
Source: Doleac, Jennifer L., and Benjamin Hansen. Does “ban the box” help or hurt low-skilled workers? Statistical discrimination and employment outcomes when criminal histories are hidden. No. w22469. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2016.
BTB-ADOPTING VS. NO-BTB AREAS
Probability of employment for young black & Hispanic men (24-35) without a college degree was reduced by 5.1% and 2.9%, respectively, in BTB-adopting areas
Employment for older black men (35-64) without college degrees and black women (25-34) with a college degree, who make up a larger share of the black population, increased in BTB-adopting areas
Source: Doleac, Jennifer L., and Benjamin Hansen. Does “ban the box” help or hurt low-skilled workers? Statistical discrimination and employment outcomes when criminal histories are hidden. No. w22469. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2016.
Probability of employment for young black men (24-35) without a HS diploma/GED was reduced by 16-50% in BTB-adopting areas
Employment for young white men (24-35) without college degrees slightly increased in BTB-adopting areas
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM BAN THE BOX STUDIES:
NON-WHITE RACE/ETHNICITY CAN BECOME A PROXY FOR PRESUMED CRIMINALITY IN THE ABSENCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT JUSTICE SYSTEM RECORDS
EMPLOYER CONCERNS:
Questions? Comments? Further feedback?
Email Paula: paula@risetoequity.com
To make an inquiry about banning the box and going beyond ban the box, visit: