Ward 8 Works Criminal Background Session Recap
On October 13th NCI and our Ward 8 Works partners sponsored an information session on “Overcoming Criminal Background Challenges” to jobs in construction. Participants heard from the following:
- Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia (Tara Chen and Kirsten Hubschmann)
- GSA St. Elizabeth’s East Campus (Lajuan Stevens)
- Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs – MORCA (Alicia Jackson)
- DOES Project Empowerment (Rodney Mitchell)
- Denard Hawkins, CCPrep Academy participant
Did you know there is no record expungement in the District, only record sealing? Did you know that, because of DC’s “Ban the Box” law employers cannot ask you about your criminal background until after they have made you a conditional offer of employment? Did you know that the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs works with returning citizens not just on jobs, but housing and other issues, and you don’t have to be a recent returnee?
The panel discussed all of these and more during the session, and they have great resources to offer DC residents who think their arrest, charge and/or conviction record is a barrier to successful employment. Check out some of the materials from the October 13th session, and use them or the links above to contact our partners.
Agenda | Ban the Box Overview | PDSDC Prisoner & Reentry Legal Services |