We, the undersigned Lawrence community members, recognize the need for fair hiring practices in our community. In order to address this need, we call for the City of Lawrence to “ban the box,” or prohibit the inquiry into conviction history information on all private and public sector employment applications unless required by state or federal law. We further resolve that the City of Lawrence adopts fair hiring practices, and urges private sector employers to do the same. Some fair hiring practices that would be beneficial to our community include:

• Situational determinations as to which positions of employment are of such sensitivity that a background check is warranted or required by law, and conducting background checks for these positions only.
• Conducting background checks only after an applicant has been provided a conditional offer of employment and only for positions where a background check is warranted.
• Considering whether the applicant’s conviction history is related to the position they are applying for, while also taking into account the length of time since the offense occurred, such that no person shall be disqualified from employment solely because of a prior conviction, unless it is a job related conviction.

Enacting these policies will improve the lives of children and families, support restorative justice, protect civil rights, and aid in the economic development of our community.