SHELBY COUNTY, Tennessee —
The push to ‘ban the box’ hit a snag Tuesday. The phrase refers to removing the question of past criminal history on applications to work in Shelby County government.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says that the new measure would not only help those reentering society after serving time, but it helps the entire community.
"That helps all of us. When folks with criminal history get access to jobs and more economic opportunity they're less likely to commit future crimes, that reduces our recidivism rate and that increases our public safety."
While the Mayor Lee Harris and County Commissioners agree the box should go, some county commissioners want to think big. Commissioner Edmund Ford says the time is ripe for Mayor Harris to expand ‘ban the box’ beyond new hires for Shelby County government, but to also include private businesses and offer them incentives and programs. He's also included an amendment for vendor training for ex-offenders.
Harris has called those amendments "unfriendly."
"So we've heard a variety of supporters on this issue. There are at least one or two Commissioners who are working through their issues so Commissioner Ford has been one of those that has offered up a different set of ideas, and we're trying to work through Commissioner Ford's issues to get his support on ‘ban the box,’" said Harris.
Ford argues that since county government is under a hiring freeze it would be a year before ex-offenders would actually benefits by banning the box on a county application. That's why he wants to expand the idea to companies and says the change would be immediate.