Jurisdictions across the United States have implemented “ban the box” policies that prevent employers from asking about job applicants’ criminal records until late in the hiring process. These policies aim to improve employment outcomes for people with criminal records, and reduce racial disparities in employment. However, research shows that that these efforts instead increase racial discrimination by employers, without producing meaningful benefits for people with criminal records. Professor Doleac will discuss the empirical evidence on ban the box policies, and present alternative strategies that may be more effective. This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Economics.