Initial Job Applications to No Longer Require Arrest, Conviction Info in New Rochelle

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Effective in April, the City of New Rochelle will not require job seekers to indicate whether or not they’ve been arrested for or convicted of a crime on their initial application.

New Rochelle joins more than 100 other cities nationwide to “Ban the Box” on municipal job applications, according to information from a spokeswoman.

City Manager Charles B. Strome III said a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment.

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“Removing the boxes on the city’s initial application better reflects our practice of putting information on arrests and convictions in place among other factors in consideration in employment,” he said.

The city’s Civil Service office handles job applications for the City of New Rochelle, the City School District, the New Rochelle Public Library and the Municipal Housing Authority.

Councilman Jared Rice, who is also co-chairman of My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle, said he was delighted the city is making the change to improve employment opportunities for men and women with arrest records and who have been incarcerated.

“One of the key principles President Obama highlighted in his [My Brother’s Keeper] initiative, which is aimed at improving the lives of boys and young men of color, is the need to give adolescents and young adults ‘second chances,’ “ he said, “and this change does just that.”

Photo credit: Ban the Box Campaign.