( CNN ) What do Walmart , Target , and now the Koch Brothers have in common with the American Civil Liberties Union , ColorOfChange.org , and the Center for American Progress ? All of them are adopting or advocating for hiring practices that open up work opportunities for people with convictions and leverage untapped potential in the labor market . Koch Industries ' recent announcement that it will `` ban the box '' -- i.e. , remove from its job applications the check-box that asks about convictions -- is a big step forward in the movement to break down barriers to employment for job-seekers with records . `` Ban the box '' does n't prohibit background checks , it only postpones them until later in the hiring process . It 's one item on a menu of fair-chance hiring reforms intended to ensure that job applicants are evaluated on their skills and qualifications first , rather than judged solely on past mistakes . These policies help reduce recidivism by making employment accessible to job-seekers who need a second chance , and they help break down the stigma of an arrest or conviction record . Two generations of the war on drugs , zero tolerance , and aggressive policing have left 70 million adults with arrest or conviction records that undermine their ability to be considered for jobs , even as the job market has grown steadily . Millions of people are being left behind , and it 's taking a toll on our economy : The reduced economic output of people with records cost our economy $ 57- $ 65 billion in 2008 alone . These criminal justice policies disproportionately impact African-Americans , who are incarcerated at a rate six times that of whites . The Department of Justice 's recent investigation of the Ferguson Police Department , for example , shows the extent to which racism is perpetuated through police departments and the court system . That systemic racial disparity is then repeated throughout the economy , and the community is put at a severe disadvantage in the job market long after individuals have served their time . That 's one reason the African-American unemployment rate is persistently twice that of whites . In a job market where employers that did n't previously do background checks now make them a routine part of hiring , qualified job-seekers are being screened out of the applicant pools for more and more jobs . Nearly one in three adults in America has an arrest or conviction history that will show up on a routine background check . Companies like Koch , Walmart , Target , and Bed Bath & Beyond recognize that this is a huge source of untapped talent , and that 's why they 've already banned the box on their job applications . These policies are also gaining traction with politicians across the political spectrum . Vermont Gov . Peter Shumlin , Georgia Gov . Nathan Deal , and Virginia Gov . Terry McAuliffe recently signed executive orders removing the conviction question from initial applications for state employment . So far , 16 states and more than 100 cities and counties have adopted fair-chance hiring policies . Six of those states and the District of Columbia , plus 25 cities and counties , have applied their policies to government contractors or private employers as well . The Obama administration took an important step toward fairer and smarter federal hiring practices last year when it issued an executive order prohibiting contractors from discriminating against LGBT individuals . Banning the box and other common-sense hiring reforms would build on that progress and on the successful work of governors and the corporate sector . The administration should ensure that the federal government does not continue to erect unfair and unnecessary barriers to employment of people with records . Already , more than 200 organizations and prominent individuals have publicly urged the Obama administration to take these practical steps . If Koch Industries -- a major federal contractor -- can ban the box , there 's no reason why other federal contractors can not . Now it 's time for President Obama to lead the way and embrace fair-chance hiring of people with records .
Obama removing checkbox on criminal records from job applications . Authors : Major companies are recognizing that those with criminal pasts can be productive workers .