Forum set for March 8 in Council Chambers
Adam McDaniel, 509.625.6269, amcdaniel@spokanecity.org
Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.
The Spokane City Council will host a community educational forum on Fair Chance Hiring March 8 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The forum will also be televised on CityCable 5.
Fair Chance Hiring is an employment practice policy adopted by more than 70 cities and nine states across the United States to remove barriers to employment for individuals with arrest or criminal conviction records. In August 2014, Mayor Condon announced that the City of Spokane would join other cities in “banning the box” by no longer requiring applicants to disclose their criminal background on job applications. The Spokane City Council adopted a resolution in April 2015 supporting the City’s Fair Chance Hiring administrative policy and encouraging private employers to adopt similar hiring policies.
Nearly one in three adults in the United States – 70 million individuals – has a criminal record. Studies show that employment is one of the biggest predictors of post-conviction success for an offender. The ability of people with criminal records to successfully reintegrate into our community contributes to reducing recidivism, reducing criminal justice costs, and lowering community crime.
The community forum will be moderated by District Court Judge Richard Leland with presentations by experts from the Washington State University Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Center for Justice. The forum will also include a panel discussion by business owners, ex-offenders, and employment agencies.
Attendees can provide questions and comments regarding Fair Chance Hiring Policies which will be added to a final report published by the Spokane City Council.
