​Second chances: Employers more open to hiring people with criminal backgrounds : Chicago Tribune

​Second chances: Employers more open to hiring people with criminal backgrounds
Chicago Tribune by  Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz and Lisa Schencker
September 11, 2018

...Doors long closed to people with criminal records have begun to crack open in industries ranging from health care to banking as employers seek new sources of talent and as lawmakers bet that gainful employment will reduce the risk that people will return to prison.

In Illinois, lawmakers have changed licensing laws to make 100-plus occupations more accessible to people with criminal records, including in real estate and accounting. The state also has expanded the types of convictions that can be sealed and therefore invisible to most employers. Meanwhile, tweaks to federal banking policies make it easier for banks to hire people convicted of minor crimes. ...

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