What is Ban the Box?

Ban the box is a legal movement that calls for banning the question "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" from job applications.

The Ban-the-Box movement urges lawmakers at the federal, state, county, and local level to reduce barriers to employment for the 70 million people in the U.S. who have criminal records.

Removing questions about criminal history from job applications prevents employers from screening out otherwise qualified candidates on the basis of a criminal record alone. This kind of screening affects minorities disproportionately and, therefore, can lead to unintended discrimination.