Part 1 – Definitions; General Provisions

“Conviction” means any sentence arising from a verdict or plea of guilty or nolo contendere.

“Conviction” includes:

“Employment” means:

“Employment” includes:

individuals with criminal records suffer from pervasive discrimination in many fundamental areas of life, including employment, housing, education, and eligibility for many forms of social benefits;

nationwide, the percentage of people of color who have criminal records exceeds the percentage of their representation in the population as a whole, which disproportionately impacts their lives, families, and communities;

many individuals with criminal records are job seekers who are ready and able to become part of and to contribute to the work force;

lack of employment is a significant cause of recidivism, while individuals who are employed are significantly less likely to again engage in criminal activities;

artificial barriers to employment for people with criminal records are creating permanent members of an underclass that threatens the health of the community and undermines public safety;

the City of Baltimore, in its own employment practices, has implemented a system of screening for individuals with criminal records that is fair to all concerned; and

the City has a responsibility to ensure that private employers in the City similarly maintain fair policies for the screening and identification of individuals with criminal records.

to assist the successful reintegration back into the community of individuals with criminal records, by removing artificial barriers to gainful employment;

to enhance the health and security of the community by assisting individuals with criminal records to lawfully provide for their families and themselves; and

to ensure that just and fair measures are implemented and practiced when pre-screening individuals to identify those who might or might not have criminal records.

This subtitle shall be construed to promote a policy that gives an individual who has a criminal record, but otherwise meets all criteria for consideration for employment, an opportunity to be judged on his or her own merit when initially applying for employment.

This subtitle, however, may not be construed to require any employer to hire someone with a criminal record nor to limit an employer’s ability to choose the most qualified and appropriate applicant for the employment opportunity at hand.