WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, who has made overhauling the criminal justice system a top priority since coming to Congress, asked President Obama on Monday to remove from federal job applications the question, "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?"

Booker and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), asked Obama in a letter to issue an executive order removing that question from job applications to work for the federal government and to work for companies doing business with the federal government.

"People who are trying to turn their lives around deserve a second chance to lift themselves up and become a productive member of society," Booker said. "But hiring practices often trap people with records in a life sentence of unemployment."

Similar "ban the box" legislation, named because applications usually include a box asking about previous convictions, was signed into law in New Jersey last August by Gov. Chris Christie. The New Jersey law requires companies employing at least 15 people to give an interview to job-seekers before being able to ask about their criminal histories. The law does not apply to jobs in law enforcement and other positions requiring criminal background checks.

The senators said that 16 states, more than 100 municipalities and several companies already have such rules on the books.

Obama has generally supported efforts to reduce incarceration of nonviolent offenders. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Government and company officials still could ask about previous convictions later in the hiring practice, but the letter, signed by 25 other senators, said removing the question on an application "would give individuals re-entering the workforce the opportunity to apply for work based on their current merits rather than past wrongdoings."

Booker previously has introduced legislation to reduce some mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug offenders and offer a way for adults convicted of nonviolent crimes to seal their records.



He has partnered with conservative Republicans such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both of whom are seeking the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, on the measures.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.