The Mobile City Council is considering a resolution that would make Mobile the first city in Alabama to formally back the national “Ban the Box” movement, which seeks to remove questions about prior arrests or convictions from the initial phase of job applications.
District 2 Councilman Levon Manzie is sponsoring the resolution, which asks the Mobile County Personnel Board to strip conviction and arrest history questions from applications for most city job openings. Manzie said the idea grew out of conversations with elected officials in other cities that have already adopted similar policies, as well as feedback from constituents in his district who described struggling to find steady work because of past mistakes.
Under the proposal, the change would apply to nearly all city positions currently being advertised, with exceptions carved out for jobs involving public safety, finance, or direct work with children or seniors. Rather than eliminating background checks altogether, the policy would move those questions later in the hiring process, giving applicants a chance to be evaluated on qualifications first.
“I believe it’s incumbent upon us to ensure that the least among us have opportunities,” Manzie said, describing the resolution as an effort to help residents who have “paid their debt to society” find a path back into steady employment. He said the city should “lead by example” for private employers in the region, framing the move as both a fairness issue and a practical step toward reducing repeat offenses among people who cannot find legal work.
The resolution first went before the council’s Rules Committee, which heard testimony on both sides of the issue before recommending it advance to the full council for a vote. Manzie said that step allowed members to weigh the potential benefits against any concerns before bringing it to the broader body.
Supporters of Ban the Box policies, which have been adopted by cities and counties around the country in recent years, argue that removing conviction questions from the front end of applications helps qualified workers get a fair first look from hiring managers instead of being screened out automatically. Manzie said he hopes Mobile adopting the policy for city government could eventually push private employers in the region to follow suit voluntarily.
If approved, Mobile would join a growing list of cities nationally that have adjusted municipal hiring practices to reduce barriers facing residents with criminal records, a step Manzie described as part of a broader effort to address recidivism by expanding access to legitimate employment. The council was expected to take up the resolution at a regularly scheduled meeting following the committee’s recommendation.