Obama Orders Fed Agencies to Stop Asking Job Applicants about Criminal & Credit History.

Obama Orders Fed Agencies to Stop Asking Job Applicants about Criminal & Credit History. HT: JudicialWatch.

To make public-sector jobs more accessible to convicts, President Obama has issued a new order prohibiting federal agencies from asking candidates about criminal history when applying for positions. It’s part of the commander-in-chief’s mission to reduce barriers to reentry and employment for incarcerated individuals once they leave jail. The new measure, announced in a Friday media dump, will affect tens of thousands of federal government positions funded with taxpayer dollars.

Government often tries to escape fallout by burying controversial or bad news right before the weekend, but it’s difficult to keep this outrageous development below the radar.

At the president’s order the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is publishing a proposed rule that would prohibit federal agencies from asking those applying for competitive service and career senior executive service positions about criminal and credit history. 

“Early inquiries into an applicant’s criminal history may discourage motivated, well-qualified individuals who have served their time from applying for a federal job,” the announcement says, adding that “early inquiries could also lead to the disqualification of otherwise eligible candidates.” Read the full story here.