PSJ Celebrates Think Outside the Box Victory in Eugene!

PSJ Celebrates Think Outside the Box Victory in Eugene!

On Wednesday, the City of Eugene agreed to remove the question, “have you ever been convicted of a felony?” from its initial job application forms. This move, which will increase employment access for people with conviction histories, is the latest victory for PSJ’s Beyond Barriers Program and for people with conviction histories in Oregon.

The City of Eugene is joining Multnomah County and cities like Boston and Minneapolis in using best practices in regard to supporting the hiring of formerly incarcerated people and people with conviction histories. Securing stable employment is one of the primary factors in making a successful transition back into the community and there are fairly simple steps that government bodies can take to provide meaningful support. Removing the question about conviction history from the county’s initial, generic job application is a solid first step.  By removing the question, the cities open up the hiring process to all qualified applicants, and the city can then ask about previous convictions in the interview process.

In celebrating this victory, we want to thank our Eugene Action Team, Paul Solomon (PSJ Board Chair) and Ron Chase from Sponsors, Inc., and all of the members and organizations in the Eugene area who made this campaign successful.

We’ll have a more formal celebration later in the year, stay tuned for more information and your invitation.

Thank you for being a part of the Action Alert Network!