Nationwide, 60 to 80 percent of private higher education institutions and 55 percent of public higher education institutes require undergraduate applicants to answer criminal history questions. This includes 40 percent of community colleges. Less than 2 in 5 colleges that require disclosure of criminal records instruct their admissions staff how to interpret the information they receive from students. In Connecticut, at least some public universities ask about prospective students’ criminal legal system involvement. Simply asking about convictions is a barrier: in one study, two-thirds of applicants with records who were asked to disclose their records never completed their applications. The effects of a criminal record extend beyond the admissions process: students with certain drug-related convictions are barred entirely from receiving federal financial aid.
These barriers are nonsensical. The evidence shows that when people who are living with a criminal record are given a fair chance to earn an education or job, find housing, get insurance, and reintegrate into society, we all succeed. Education is correlated to a 43 percent reduction in recidivism rates. At the same time, people leaving incarceration have lower levels of education than people without records, a huge competitive disadvantage in the employment market. At the same time, there is no correlation between criminal history screening and campus safety. Meaning, inquiring about applicant’s criminal records did not make campuses any safer.
House Bill 5129 is a good step forward that can immediately improve the lives of Connecticut residents.
