'Ban The Box' City Ordinance Extended

DETROIT (WWJ) - Contractors and vendors who want to do business with the City of Detroit will now have to submit an affidavit showing that they have removed the felony question from their employment applications.

Detroit City Council on Tuesday voted in favor of extending the "Ban the Box" rule following comments from citizens, including Rodney Evens.

"What we would like is to be given a fair opportunity to be employed within the city," said Evens. "There are individuals who have understood the fact that they have committed crimes and who have been convicted of crimes and who have served their time but yet they are willing to come back to this city and become an asset."

Council has already removed the felony question from city applications.

Councilman Ken Cockrel co-sponsored this latest ordinance.

"We can maximize the opportunities for people who are coming to this community after paying their debt to society, but are having doors closed in their face," said Cockrel.

"We can take this proactive step as a city to maximize opportunities for folks like that to become gainfully employed and lead productive lives, and I think that this is something that's worth doing," he said.  "If we decide or find that there are problems later, we can always make an adjustment."

Contractors are still free to inquire about an applicant's criminal past during the interview process.