Ban the Box proponents see incremental progress after years of pushing for council action

For years, members of a local NAACP task force have been asking City Council to help create a level playing field for ex-convicts searching for work in Springfield.

Some had previously voiced their frustration to the News-Leader about what they perceived as council members' unwillingness to touch potentially controversial topics.

Now, city leaders are expected to consider an incremental step forward.

On Wednesday, a council committee discussed a bill that recognizes and reaffirms the city's policy of not asking job candidates about whether they have a criminal history until after an interview.

The policy has been in place since 2014 and does not apply to public safety positions.

The city's Director of Human Resources Darla Morrison said the city considers people on a case-by-case basis, factoring in reference feedback, the type of job the individual is applying for and how long its been since their conviction.

Morrison said the policy has worked well, and there are current city employees who have a conviction record.

The resolution itself would not change anything. It's more of a symbolic act — one that NAACP member Isabelle Jimenez Walker hopes will spur other employers to consider delaying questions about felony status until later in the candidate-review process.

The move is called "Ban the Box," which refers to a box on some job applications which asks if a candidate has been convicted of a felony. 

Currently, 29 states and 150 cities have banned the box or adopted "fair chance policies," said Walker, who chairs the NAACP's Second Chance Offenders' Task Force. Some also require private employers or government contractors to give felons a fair chance.

In Columbia, Missouri's Ban the Box ordinance applies to all employers within city limits. There are exceptions for certain jobs, according to the city's website.

Employers found guilty of violating the fair employment opportunity ordinance could be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned for up to 30 days or both, according to Columbia City Code.

Betsey Sandbothe, another member of the task force, said what works for Columbia does not necessarily work for Springfield.

If other employers voluntarily follow the city's example, there would be no need to pass an ordinance, Sandbothe said.

Sandbothe, who helps federal offenders reintegrate in the community, said there are about 4,700 individuals on probation or parole in Greene County and the surrounding areas. That doesn’t include ex-offenders who are no longer under supervision.

More than a third are unemployed.

People are far more likely to commit crimes again if they don't have a job, Sandbothe said.

Fair hiring practices don't mean the employer can't ask about or take criminal history into consideration, Sandbothe said.

"It's just a way to delay that information and give them (the applicants) an opportunity to sell themselves and discuss what they did, face-to-face," she said.

Walker said reducing the unemployment rate of ex-convicts is beneficial to the community.

"Allowing people with felonies to work increases their tax contributions, boosts sales tax and saves money by keeping people out of the criminal justice system," Walker said.

Todd Thomas, also with the NAACP, called the resolution a "first step" and said there may be more to come.

"People have made mistakes. They have done their time. Instead of punishing them for the rest of their lives, when does the punishment end?" Thomas said.

Walker, Sandbothe, Thomas and others have working on Ban the Box for nearly six years.

The Mayor's Commission on Human Rights began discussing hiring practices and felons in 2012, Walker said. The topic was later transferred to the NAACP.

After presenting Ban the Box to the council's Community Involvement Committee in 2015, the topic sat untouched for another two years, according to Walker.

"It was seen to be a controversial issue when we were first trying to get this out there," Walker said. "We were put off."

Recently, she began talking to Councilman Mike Schilling, who transferred it to the committee he chairs — the Finance & Administration committee.

Two members — Schilling and Councilman Richard Ollis — spoke in favor of a resolution Wednesday afternoon. The absence of council members Craig Hosmer and Kristi Fulnecky meant the committee did not have enough members to send the bill to the entire council for a vote.

And so, the fair employment application resolution will sit in committee for a while longer until another meeting is scheduled.

Walker appeared to recognize the irony in that.

"It's like every step is taking months to get to the next step," she said. "You have to be consistent and not give up."