Obama tells federal agencies to 'ban the box' on federal job applications

USA Today: WASHINGTON — President Obama said Monday he was directing federal agencies to "ban the box" in their hiring decisions, prohibiting them from asking prospective government employees about their criminal histories on job applications.

Speaking at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J., where he highlighted programs meant to ease the reentry of former inmates into society, Obama said the federal government "should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications."

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