The city of Birmingham on Thursday announced that it will now "ban the box" on job applications.

Mayor William Bell, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu and The Dannon Project Executive Director Kerri Pruitt announced the change at a Thursday press conference.

The "box" refers to a line on job applications where those seeking employment must disclose conviction and arrest history. That disclosure often results in the applicant being removed from the candidate pool for that job.

Mayor William Bell, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu, State Rep. Juandalynn Givan and The Dannon Project Executive Director Kerri Pruitt announced the change at a Thursday press conference. (Kelsey Stein | kstein@al.com)

"The city will continue to lead the way by expanding existing programs and furthering our reach," Bell said. "There is no such thing as a disposable person. We must take the time and make the effort to offer second chances to the thousands of people impacted by these statistics."

About 95 percent of the 30,000 people currently incarcerated in Alabama will eventually return to their communities. In Jefferson County alone, about 2,000 people return from prison annually.

Birmingham's ban the box will be implemented through an executive order signed by the mayor. It will remove the requirement from all city job applications.

Data shows that ex-offenders who are able to find a job are about half as likely to reoffend as those who cannot find employment.

"There is strong data showing that finding a job substantially reduces an ex-offender's likelihood of returning to prison," Vance said. "For those who believe former inmates are unsafe or unfit for the workplace, there is also ample data showing that employed ex-offenders have better retention rates, better performance metrics, and pose no greater risk within the workplace than those without a conviction history."

"We are very thankful for the opportunity to educate returning citizens, as well as the extended community, about the valuable support that Ban the Box fofers in giving everyone equal access to employment," Pruitt said.

Nineteen states and more than 100 cities and counties have some variation of "ban the box" laws or policies, according to the National Employment Law Project. Companies like Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Koch Industries have also banned the box.

The policies vary, and most apply only to public employers. Generally, they mean that employers don't ask applicants about criminal histories until an interview, a conditional job offer or a determination that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications.

Vance recently met with a group of Birmingham Business Alliance investors to discuss the "ban the box" initiative. While acknowledging that various companies require different approaches to hiring, most agreed that the move helps to reduce recidivism and give a second chance to those seeking to improve their lives.

At the time of the meeting, Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the BBA, said it marked the beginning of an important discussion within the city's business community.

Last month, the Alabama Prison Reform Task Force considered a similar proposal with statewide reach. The measure was put forth by Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery. The task force can't approve legislation, but can make recommendations to the Legislature.

Read the executive order here: