We work to secure the employment rights of formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones through advocating for an end to employment discrimination and working with local partners who help our members get on a fast-track to employment. Find out about clearing your record and local expungement services here.
VOTE has been instrumental in Ban the Box initiatives on the local, state and national levels.
- In 2015, VOTE staff along with key partners in the FCIPFM brought 130,000 petitions to the White House urging President Obama to Ban the Box on federal job applications. A week later, the demand was met.
- In 2016, we worked with a broad statewide coalition to Ban the Box on roughly 40,000 unclassified state jobs.
- In 2017, VOTE testified before the Louisiana Civil Service Commission, who unanimously voted to Ban the Box on classified state jobs!
- On March 1, 2019, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members, a new Ban the Box ordinance went into effect, prohibiting New Orleans' government employers and city contractors from asking about a jobseeker’s criminal history on their job application. Download the Know Your Rights brochure here.