In a press release, the City of Jackson announced that it has issued an administrative order this week to city departments declaring applicants will no longer have to list their criminal history on applications for city employment.

The release goes on to say that this means an applicant will not be automatically removed from consideration for a past arrest or criminal conviction. Furthermore, the order indicates that no inquiry of a person’s criminal past will be performed until the City Manager determines that the applicant is qualified for the position. However, the nature and gravity of the crime for which the applicant was convicted will be considered, as well as length of time since the conviction and completion of the sentence.

The purpose of this policy is to increase the pool of qualified applicants for city employment and to not construct an initial barrier to employment by requiring disclosure of criminal convictions on an initial application for employment. City Councilwoman Colleen Sullivan welcomes this change. She says the application requirement may constitute a barrier to employment, especially in a city with a high poverty rate. “I welcome the City Manager’s move to revise his hiring practices to be more inclusive,” Sullivan said in the press release.

The new policy may be periodically reviewed or updated at any time at the discretion of the City Manager.