Just because the majority of ex-cons are black, it doesn’t mean using background checks in employment decisions amounts to racial discrimination. The bottom line is that someone with an arrest history is a less desirable job candidate then a person without one. Just like someone who has committed a crime, or has a serious mental health issue, isn’t as desirable a gun owner as someone who doesn’t have that kind of background. Democratic lawmakers have embraced background screening for those looking to buy a gun, but balk at using the tool as a method for hiring, even though the premise of both arguments is the same – judging a population on their past as an indicator for future actions. U.S. employers have the right to make a judgment call – to evaluate the crime, the person, their background and time out of jail, to make a hiring decision. In a recession, where there are so many applicants for so few jobs, employers should use everything at their disposal to evaluate the people they’re going to invest in – after all, it’s their capital, time, and ultimate liability. Political correctness may have its place in politics, but companies who operate in the real world know it’s not always prudent to hire an ex-felon, regardless of their skin color.
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