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We've featured several employers on the show with recruiting strategies focusing on hiring people with criminal histories. All of these employers have spoken about the benefits for the people they hire, the benefits they get from reaching new talent pools, and the benefits for society as a whole.\xa0\n\nDespite this growing list of case studies, several misconceptions about hiring people who have been involved with the criminal justice system are holding many employers back.\n\nMy guest this week is Shawn Bushway, a professor at the University at Albany and a researcher at RAND Corporation. Shawn has built a body of research on the impact of criminal background checks on employment, and his work informed the current standards of the EEOC. He now helps employers revise their background check policies to better reflect the science about re-offending and become compliant with EEOC guidance.\n\nIn the interview, we discuss:\n\nHow background checks have evolved\n\nBan the box\n\nHow the tightness of the labor market dictates employers' attitudes\n\nCommon misconceptions\n\nThe myth around recidivism\n\nOverestimating the level of risk\n\nWhy crime type is irrelevant\n\nMaking factually informed decisions\n\nAvoiding false positives\n\nAge, time, and number\n\nThe role of government in creating practical, useable incentives to hire people with criminal histories\n\nListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts