GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Applicants for county jobs no longer will be asked on the application if they were ever convicted of a crime.

The change comes after commissioners on Wednesday, May 7, unanimously

. Ban the Box refers to the question posed to job seekers on employment applications, asking them if they have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor.

All applicants will still undergo criminal background checks and can be asked to explain past convictions in an interview. The mission of removing the question on applications is to give applicants a chance to explain their past.

Too often, advocate say, employers dismiss an application as soon as they see that the box has been checked.

It creates barriers to living a crime-free life, said Commissioner Omar Sims.

"If we don't remove barriers, what's going to happen?" Sims said.

Former Flint Central Football Coach Joe Eufinger addressed commissioners to advocate for the initiative.

Too often, people who serve their time return home and find they have few opportunities for honest work, Eufinger said.

"I think it's generally been a detriment to the community," he said.

The initiative was brought to the county by Flint Area Congregations Together -- a group representing 26 area churches -- along with community leaders and previously-convicted felons.

Municipalities across the country have been taking up similar initiatives. Ann Arbor's city council recently passed a similar measure.

Blake Thorne is a reporter for MLive-The Flint Journal. Contact him at bthorne1@mlive.com or 810-347-8194. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.