§ 2-231.02. Legislative findings and declaration of purpose.

The County Council for Prince George's County, Maryland, hereby finds that over 92 million Americans, roughly one in three adults, have a criminal history record involving an arrest or conviction and nearly 700,000 people a year return to their communities from incarceration, and many are job seekers who are ready and able to become part of the work force; that studies indicate that job applicants are often precluded from even getting an interview when applications require disclosure of whether the applicant has a criminal record; that lack of employment is a significant cause of recidivism, which threatens public safety and disrupts the financial and general stability of affected families and communities; that increased government expenditures on law enforcement and social programs, necessitated by the inability of people with criminal records to find gainful employment, are an impediment to the County reaching its potential for economic growth; that increasing employment of people with criminal records improves public safety and reduces the financial burden on government; and that in order to effectively respond, the County Council for Prince George's County, Maryland hereby declares that it is the public policy of Prince George's County to assist in the successful reintegration of individuals with criminal records into the workforce by removing barriers to employment and enhance the health and safety of the community by assisting individuals with criminal records to lawfully provide for themselves and their families.

(CB-78-2014)

Editor's note

CR-6-2015 approved rules and regulations governing the implementation and administration of the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards.