BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — The Beaver County Board of Commissioners introduced Wednesday “Ban the Box” legislation to remove questions about criminal history from county job applications.
Banning the box is intended to allow the county to judge job applicants based on their qualifications rather than their past convictions.
Officials argue that the change provides the opportunity to people otherwise affected by the box to be more productive members of society, easing hiring barriers and creating a fair chance to compete for jobs.
“We basically are giving them the chance to come here in Beaver, go through the interview process and if they’re a qualified candidate, then we will do the vetting process to see if they were ever convicted of a felony,” Beaver County Commissioner Daniel Camp said.
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Dean Williams, of Beaver County United, supports the legislation, knowing firsthand how difficult it can be to find work.
“I've had indiscretions in my past and I've changed my life around, and I'm now a leader. I think there are a lot of people in the same situation I'm in that could be citizens and move forward,” Williams said.
The legislation, which is already in place in Allegheny County, will be officially voted on next week for Beaver County.
“Everybody makes mistakes, and the thing is, if you've made a mistake and paid your debt back to society, you deserve a chance to be a taxpaying citizen who has a productive life,” Williams said.
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