‘Ban The Box’ Bill In Minnesota Could Help Ex-Offenders Get Jobs
A few hours before the cops clapped handcuffs on him, James Cannon, a student at the University of Minnesota, was feeling better than ever about his prospects for the future: He’d just handed in his last college paper and was looking forward to a well-paying career in the medical field.
But as he celebrated at the bar that night, he had a few too many drinks and traded insults with a stranger. The words led to blows, and someone called the police, who caught Cannon holding onto the stranger by his backpack and charged him with attempted theft. For years after that, whenever Cannon applied for a job, he had to check off a box denoting his criminal record.
The once-promising young college graduate found himself working in a warehouse for about $8 an hour, picking up boxes of mashed potatoes that had fallen off a conveyer belt. “I never saw myself doing that kind of job,” he said. “But you have to be humble when you have a record.”
