What's At Stake
In Idaho, we are facing a concerning growth of our prison population with over 9,000 people imprisoned in Idaho. Yet an estimated 95 percent of people in our state prisons and jails will re-enter our communities at some point upon the completion of their sentence. Meaningful employment is key to reducing the likelihood of recidivism, yet people with a previous criminal record face numerous barriers to employment.
To help reduce Idaho’s rapidly increasing recidivism rate, the ACLU of Idaho and Smart Justice for Idaho are launching the return of our fair chance employment policy, also formerly known as “ban the box”. The fair chance employment policy not only eliminates banning the box which unfairly restricts job opportunities for people with records, it also encourages employers to eliminate blanket exclusions of people with criminal records, delays criminal history inquires until later in the hiring process and ensures that information about an applicant’s criminal record is considered in a job related context.
Implementing this policy gives all job applicants a fair chance at a fresh start while ensuring stability and success post incarceration.
Stories from the Community
Read blog posts from our Smart Justice Idaho Story Project and learn more about what individuals with criminal records faced when seeking employment and the barriers they overcame during their journey.
Its time for Idaho to adopt Fair Chance Hiring!
How can you get involved in the Fair Chance Hiring campaign?
- Have you experienced difficulties gaining employment post-incarceration? We want to hear your story! Your voice is critical for lawmakers and employers to understand the need for this legislation. Join the efforts to elevate the need for to pass this legislation.
- Are you a business owner that is interested in learning more about fair chance hiring? Check out our one pager with helpful information to learn more about the policy.
- Are you an employer that hires people with previous convictions? Sign our endorsement letter and add your business to a growing list of employers who support passing this legislation.
- What are other states doing in terms of fair chance hiring? Learn more about how fair chance hiring has significantly supported formerly incarcerated individuals while continuing to boost local economies.