Pathway 2

The Importance of Ban the Box

“Ban the Box” laws help level the playing field for job seekers with a criminal record.

Connecticut’s Ban the Box law helps level the playing field for job seekers with criminal records by:

• • Prohibiting asking about criminal history on initial job applications, unless legally required or it is relevant to positions requiring bonding. 
• • Lets applicants be considered on merit first — not past mistakes.
    

This allows candidates to be judged first on their qualifications rather than past mistakes, reducing stigma and increasing fair access to employment.

Employers can still inquire about criminal history later in the hiring process, but they must also inform applicants that they are not required to disclose erased records, this can be done by using a clear written notice such as:

• • An applicant or employee is not required to disclose the existence of any erased criminal history record information.
• • Erased criminal history includes: juvenile delinquency or family-with-service-needs findings, youthful offender adjudications, charges that were dismissed, nulled, or ended in a not-guilty verdict, convictions with absolute pardons, and records erased by law.
• • Individuals with erased records are considered never arrested under the law and may legally swear to that effect.

The Importance of Ban the Box