What: Staunton City Council Meeting
When: Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Staunton, Va.—Virginia Organizing leaders will attend the Staunton City Council meeting at City Hall tonight, September 10 at 7:30 p.m., to urge city councilors to ban the criminal history box on city job applications.
Virginia Organizing leader and State Governing Board member Duane Edwards plans to attend the meeting tonight. “If we want our communities to be better, it is going to take all of us to achieve that—including those who have criminal records,” said Edwards.
“It’s important to ban the box because if the question about criminal history is on the application, people will get discouraged and not apply for jobs and we need people at work,” said Virginia Organizing leader Barbara Lee.
Virginia Organizing leaders across Virginia worked in their localities to successfully ban the criminal history box, including surrounding areas like Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe also banned the box on state job applications earlier this year.
Banning the criminal history box removes a barrier to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals and still permits employers to ask questions and conduct background checks. Employment is a critical factor to reduce recidivism and allows individuals to provide a living for themselves and their families.
To interview a spokesperson for Virginia Organizing, please contact Amanda Pohl at 804-337-1912 or amanda@virginia-organizing.org
Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization that brings people together to create a more just Virginia.
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