City of Spokane Supports Fair

Chance Hiring
In August 2014, Mayor Condon publicly asked
Civil Service and HR to implement Fair Chance
Hiring procedures for city employment.
At the news conference, the Mayor said this
would open another pathway to access for
people with criminal pasts and give them
more equal footing for meaningful
employment.
The City adopted a new internal policy on
December 31, 2014, which went into effect
March 6, 2015 (ADMIN 0620-15-65).

Key Components of the Citys

internal hiring policy:
City of Spokane employment
application no longer includes the
box that asks about criminal history;
For most positions, no background
check until after a conditional offer
of employment is made;
A conviction can only disqualify an
applicant if it directly relates to the job;
Exemptions for Police, Fire, Courts,
Working with Children.

City Council Passes a

Resolution in Support of Fair
Chance Hiring
On April 13, 2015, City Council approved a
Resolution to support the Citys
adoption and implementation of hiring
practices that provide people with arrest
and conviction records an equal and fair
opportunity to obtain employment.
Resolution No. 2015-0034.

WHEREAS nearly one in three adults in the United

States - 70 million individuals - have a criminal
record; and
WHEREAS, a criminal conviction presents a serious
and significant barrier to employment; and
WHEREAS, people of color are arrested, convicted,
and incarcerated in numbers disproportionate to
their representation in the population as a whole;
and
WHEREAS, economists estimate that by denying
fair employment opportunities to people with
criminal records, our nations gross domestic
product lost $57 to $65 billion in 2008; and

WHEREAS, the ability of people with criminal records to successfully

reintegrate into our community contributes to reduced recidivism,
strengthens families, and leads to safer communities; and
WHEREAS, people with records represent a workforce that have
skills to contribute and a desire to add value to their community;
and
WHEREAS, when qualified job seekers with criminal records are
given the opportunity to work, they add to the tax base and local
economy, and will be less reliant on public benefits and social
services; and
WHEREAS, studies indicate that stable employment is one of the
best predictors of post-conviction success; and
WHEREAS, 14 states and 96 local jurisdictions across the country
have adopted fair chance hiring policies to remove unfair barriers
to employment of people with records; (now 21 states, over 100
local jxs)

What does the hiring process

look like under a Fair Chance
Hiring ordinance?
DOES allow employers to do full background
checks prior to hiring.
Does NOT require employers to hire people
with criminal records
Removes box on the application asking about
criminal convictions or arrests.
No exclusionary language on job
announcements, ex) no felons.
Employer reviews applications and narrows pool to
qualified applicants Qualifications First
After an interview or after deeming someone
otherwise qualified, the employer can conduct
background check and/or ask applicant about
criminal history.

 Applicant can be given opportunity to

provide the employer with additional
information about his/her criminal history,
rehabilitation and qualifications.
The employer decides whether a conviction
is sufficiently job-related to justify denial of
employment (whether the conviction is directly
related to the duties of the specific position and
how long ago the offense occurred).
The employer makes a hiring decision.

What employers would it

cover?
All employers that are hiring a person to
perform a majority of his/her services within
the City of Spokane

What Employers and Jobs are

generally Exempt?
Federal, state and other local governments
General or limited Washington law enforcement
agencies
Jobs with unsupervised access to children and
vulnerable adults (daycares, teachers, in-home
caregivers)
Employers permitted or required under federal or
state law to inquire into arrest or conviction
records (again, children/vulnerable adults, law
enforcement..)

How could it be
enforced?
1) Education & Willing Compliance
2) Warning & Willing Compliance
3) Fines for Non-Compliance after
education and warning

7 Reasons to be a Fair
Chance Employer
1. You might be missing out on undiscovered talent/highly
qualified employees
2. Many companies have had success with this policy
3. There are numerous subsidies & tax incentives that will
help your bottom line
4. This helps the local economy
5. Safeguards against negligent hiring liability
6. You could be violating civil rights laws if your company is
not open to hiring anyone with a background issue (EEOC
Recommendations encourage Fair Hiring Policies to avoid
racial discrimination)
7. This helps increase public safety, decreases recidivism,
decreases burden of costs of incarceration on tax payers,
increases tax revenue, decrease number of citizens on
public assistance, increases ones ability to provide for self
and family, instills a greater sense of pride and purpose,
and lowers incentives to reoffend

More Information
www.smartjusticespokane.org
www.nelp.org/campaign/ensuring-fair-cha
nce-to-work
www.wafairchancecoalition.org