Cuyahoga County has seen a decline in population, according to the 2010 census, but according to a recent Ohio Offender Reentry report, the county has the highest number of reentering individuals of all the 88 counties in the state. Approximately 7,000 formerly incarcerated persons returned to Cuyahoga County last year, with the majority of them returning to Cleveland.
An Urban Institute study reported that finding a job was the main issue for Ohioans surveyed concerning what worried them most after release from prison. Countless studies have shown that finding employment is a critical component of successful reentry, yet those with a criminal conviction have a difficult time obtaining a job. Recognizing this fact, Cuyahoga County officials are considering implementing Ban the Box legislation.
Ban the Box is the catchy name for excluding a section on job applications that ask if the applicant has ever been arrested or convicted. If the box is eliminated, proponents of the ban suggest, job applicants at least have the opportunity to sell themselves as just the right person for the job in question. The employer has the right to ask the prospective employee if he or she has a conviction if they are actually a candidate for the job. Ban the Box legislation opens the door for someone with a criminal history, but does not guarantee that person will get the job, or insist that the employer has to hire that person. Certain crimes would exclude a person from being hired for a particular job, for example, a convicted pedophile would not be hired at a day care center, or someone with a conviction for embezzlement would not be hired as a bank teller. Some opponents of the Ban the Box movement erroneously believe that an employer would be legally obligated to hire someone with a criminal record, but that is a false assumption.
Cleveland has already put Ban the Box into effect. According to cleveland.com, the city joins six states and 30 cities that have Ban the Box laws already in place. Some critics of the law might complain that criminals do not deserve a second chance, and that there are many law abiding citizens who need a job. The Cuyahoga County Council supports the position that all residents of their county deserve the opportunity to be employed, and the Council knows that when a formerly incarcerated person finds employment, that person is less likely to recidivate, which means public safety county is increased.
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