Plans to "Ban the Box" move to Johnson County as county leaders see it as a way to fight poverty and crime.
"Ban the Box" refers to removing the criminal history questions off of employment applications. Supporters believe it removes bias at the beginning of an employment process.
Johnson County leaders are working on a "Fair Chance Hiring" initiative to help remove employment barriers for convicted felons. The program is for people applying for positions within the county itself. The criminal history question would be removed from the application and any criminal background would only be disclosed once an applicant has made further into the hiring process.
Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning supports banning the criminal history box with some restrictions. "We have ways to check their criminogenic needs, in other words how big of a risk will this person be," said Denning.
Ban the Box has been passed in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Unified Government in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Metro Organization for Racial Economic Equity is planning a rally in at the Pavilion in downtown Olathe on Thursday May 12, in hopes of initiating change in Johnson County.
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