I received this in my email about a week ago and thought it was intresting enough to share with you all.
I myself will be supporting AB 1831. Not sure how anyone else would feel about this measure, but I truly believe this would make a difference in reducing repeat offenders, particularly that in the African American Communty.
Again, I am not encouraging nor advocating this iniative, but only informing.
Until next time.
Reminder: Support AB 1831 Today - A Vital Policy to Get Our People Jobs
LOS ANGELES, CA - The barriers that have kept many formerly incarcerated individuals from getting access to jobs may be coming down. Assembly Member Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) has introduced Assembly Bill 1831, which would change the way background checks are performed by public agencies that provides applicants with a fair opportunity to gain employment, while also acknowledging the need for public safety. If passed, AB 1831, which is co-sponsored by Assembly Member Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland), would direct local governmental agencies (i.e. cities and counties) to conduct background checks only when there is an offer for employment. It would also eliminate the box on applications that inquires about past felony convictions. These simple moves will go a long way in addressing the struggles of formerly incarcerated individuals to secure the employment needed to turn their lives around.
"That 'box' on the initial employment application creates a catch-22 situation for people with a conviction history," says Joshua Kim, a staff attorney at UCLA School of Law & A New Way of Life Reentry Legal Clinic. "If you admit to having a record, most employers will simply throw out your application and move on to the next applicant. If you do not disclose it and get hired, the employer will fire you the moment a background check reveals the record. No matter how you answer the question, you end up with no job."
According to the state of California, nearly 70% of those paroled eventually return to prison. One of the major reasons often cited is the difficulty for people with records to gain meaningful employment. In light of California's prison realignment plan, which will shift thousands of incarcerated people to local communities, there is a greater need for proactive approaches to providing job opportunities to our people coming home from prisons.
"Research shows that employment reduces recidivism by more than 60%," adds Kim. "Removing the 'box' is important for symbolic reasons too. It lets the applicant with a conviction history know that the employer is willing to give them a fair opportunity, that they won't be judged solely on their past."
To become a supporter of AB 1831, please contact A New Way of Life Reentry Project at joshua@anewwayoflife.org today. There is an important hearing next week around AB 1831 and we need everyone's support.
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