Title
Amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions," by enacting a new Chapter 9-3000, entitled "Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards," to establish provisions and requirements for the screening of criminal records by certain employers within the City of Philadelphia, all under certain terms and conditions.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions," is hereby amended by adding a new Chapter 9-3000, entitled "Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards," to read as follows:
CHAPTER 9-3000. FAIR CRIMINAL RECORD SCREENING STANDARDS.
ยง9-3001. Legislative Findings and Purpose.
(1) The City Council of the City of Philadelphia finds that:
(a) Persons with criminal records suffer from pervasive discrimination in many areas of life - employment, housing, education, and eligibility for many forms of social benefits; and
(b) As of 1999, more than 71 million people nationwide had criminal records and are reported to experience lifelong discrimination because of their past convictions, and Pennsylvania has a higher corrections population than all but eight states, resulting in large numbers of people whose backgrounds include past criminal convictions and/or imprisonment; and
(c) Nearly 3200 people are released from the Philadelphia Prison System annually and it holds an average daily population of 8500 people - each one released burdened by and shadowed with a criminal record of some type; and
(d) The percentage of people of color convicted and incarcerated nationwide exceeds the percentage of their representation in the population as a whole, which disproportionately impacts their lives, families and communities; and
(e) Criminal background checks by employers have increased at a record rate, with 80% of large employers in the U.S. now s...
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