Kansas bans the box

Kansas Governer Jeff Colyer signed an executive order earlier this month ‘banning the box‘ for state agencies.

The order issued by Colyer will stop applications for executive branch jobs from asking about criminal history. Applicants may still be asked about criminal history further in the hiring process.

“Studies have shown that gainful employment is a major factor in reducing recidivism rate among former offenders. This is simply about treating people as individuals and allowing them to explain their circumstances at a later point in the process,” said Governor Colyer.

The order, which officials said would take about 90 days to implement, only applies to jobs for which a clean criminal record is not a requirement. It will not, for example, apply to law enforcement or any positions that require certain professional licenses that require clean criminal records. It also does not apply to colleges and universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, which have their own employment policies,

The national ‘ban the box‘ initiative has brought renewed attention to the value of discussing applicants’ criminal history later in the hiring process and providing applicants with an opportunity to explain their unique facts and circumstances to potential employers.

Nationwide, 31 states and over 150 cities and counties have adopted ban-the-box laws. Fifteen major cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have adopted ‘ban the box‘ hiring laws that cover both public- and private-sector employers.