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'Ban the box' movement advances with new federal employment regulations
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President Obama announced last week the federal government will end the practices of asking job applicants about felonies, a move advocates say with improve upward mobility and prevent recidivism.. - photo by Daniel Bendtsen
The so-called "ban the box" movement appears to be picking up momentum.

President Barack Obama issued an executive order last week, ordering the federal government to remove the check box on federal job applications asking about felony criminal records, except where required by law.

The yes-or-no check box that inquires about felony convictions is common on job applications in the U.S., and Obama has been at the forefront of a movement urging private employers to ban the box, arguing that the stigma prevents ex-convicts from finding jobs and inadvertently exacerbates criminal recidivism.

"We know that having millions of people in the criminal justice system, without any ability to find a job after release, is unsustainable, the president said shortly before announcing the decision. Its bad for communities and its bad for our economy.

New York City passed similar legislation this past summer, joining seven states and 27 cities in disallowing all employers private and public from asking about criminal history until after a conditional offer of employment is made, The National Law Review reported. In total, seven states and 27 cities have passed different versions instituting "ban the box," according to the National Employment Law Project.

Jeffery Robinson, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, wrote in an essay for Brookings Institute that the action will deter the Scarlet Letter Effect and give applicants an opportunity to introduce themselves to an employer in person and to explain the circumstances behind a conviction.

Robinson, who praised the federal compromise that does allow background checks only after meeting the applicant first, said the new guideline sits in the middle ground of where policy and procedure meet hearts and minds. A reminder not to fool yourself, we need both.

Employers may be unaware of how much they're influenced by disclosure of a felony on a job application, which research has shown can be a job-killer. The National Institute of Justice found that applications from a convicted felon are three times less likely to receive callbacks than identical applications from those without a criminal record.

Still, some business groups are concerned the trend could leave employers more susceptible to lawsuits, according to Bloomberg. As more employers abandon the practice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said businesses that discriminate based on criminal record could be in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act if the practice has a disproportionate effect on race.

In 2003, the National Bureau for Economic Research found that job applicants with white-sounding names were twice as likely to get interviews as those with black-sounding names, even when their credentials were identical. A study in Milwaukee found it was nearly impossible for black ex-cons to find work without face-to-face contact with an employer, according to Vox.

This has natural implications for upward mobility and recidivism. The risk of former inmates going back to prison drops 63 percent when they can find work.

Michelle Chen at the newsmagazine The Nation said ban the box is inherently tied to racial justice because mass incarceration is also tied to race, noting that Kids of color in aggressively policed neighborhoods are, for instance, disproportionately vulnerable to incurring trumped-up pot-related charges; they may be pressured to plead guilty to avoid a harsher sentence, and regardless of actual guilt, conviction may be all but assured if they cant afford decent legal defense institutionalized consequences that middle-class whites may never face for their youthful indiscretions.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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