Boxed Out: Criminal History Screening & College Application Attrition Presented to: John Jay Prisoner Reentry Institute May 21, 2015

Access to Higher Education Mass Criminalization Mass Incarceration Mass Reentry Racial Disparities Campus Safety Proliferation of Screening

All schools but one report a Felony Application Attrition Rate that is higher than the General Application Attrition Rate. The Felony Application Attrition Rate ranges from 1.5 times higher to 17.3 times higher than the General Attrition Rate. Every school reports a General Application Attrition Rate under 50 percent. Two-thirds of schools report a Felony Application Attrition Rate over 50 percent.

2924 Number of SUNY Applicants Who Check the Box Each Year 1828 Number of SUNY Applicants Boxed Out by Application Attrition Each Year 62.5% Mean Felony Application Attrition Rate

Applicants who check the box have an application attrition rate 3 times higher than the general applicant population.

Comparison of Felony Application Attrition Rate and Felony Rejection Rate

The number of applicants who disclose a felony conviction impacted by application attrition is more than 15 times higher than the number denied admission.

Felony Application Attrition and Rejection Rates Compared Excluded by Felony Application Attrition Excluded by Admissions Review Committee Because of Conviction For every one applicant rejected by Admissions Review Committees because of a felony conviction, 15 applicants are excluded by felony application attrition. 1 : 15

An Overview of Policies and Procedures for Sixty SUNY Campuses Two Controlling Documents Policy Item #3300 (Effective September 1, 1998) “Admission of Persons with Prior Felony Convictions or Disciplinary Dismissals” FAQ (Issued June 17, 2013) To clarify existing policy, provide additional guidance to campuses, and to enhance compliance

What Do All of the Campuses Have in Common? They all make the applicant run the gauntlet All campuses require the applicant to check the box All send a supplementary application or questionnaire All warn that failure to provide all required documents and follow all procedures will make application incomplete and no action will be taken by Admissions All tighten the gauntlet by further warning that any falsification, misinformation or incomplete information will result in denial of admission

Across the 60 SUNY campuses, 38 differently named documents are requested.

Improper Instruction and Misunderstanding About FAQ #5 Q.If an applicant was convicted of a felony as a Youthful Offender, Juvenile Delinquent, or Juvenile Offender, or has otherwise had his/her records sealed, how should they answer the mandated question? A.They should answer “No.” The Help function on the SUNY application informs applicant with Youthful Offender, Juvenile Delinquents or Juvenile Offender status to respond “No.”

Interviews with SUNY Applicants Adrien’s Story

Conclusions from Study Felony application attrition is a more formidable barrier to admission at SUNY campuses than rejection based upon a felony conviction. The gauntlet of supplementary requirements, no matter how applicant-friendly, will result in high rates of application attrition. This case study of SUNY carries implications for colleges across the U.S. with 55% of public colleges engaging in criminal history screening and a majority of those using supplemental requirements.

The criminal history box can make the sentence last a lifetime.

The Equality Speech We cannot become complacent about the strides toward equality made by the civil rights movement. “Be aware of that myth, that everything is going to be all right … Take it from me, it has not been solved …They are still laying traps for us.” Justice Thurgood Marshall Howard Law School November 19, 1978

Have you been convicted of a felony? □ YES □ NO

Primary Recommendation The Center for Community Alternatives, in concert with the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, strongly recommend that the State University of New York and all colleges and universities refrain from including the criminal history question on the application and prohibit the use of criminal history information in admissions decision making. Support the New York Fair Access to Education Act (S and A.03363).

Secondary Recommendations Offer voluntary support services to students with criminal histories. Provide funding for prison-based education programs to help formerly incarcerated people make a smooth transition to college in the community. Assist in overcoming barriers to licensing for students with criminal histories. Address the real public safety concerns on college campuses: rape culture and binge drinking.

Mission Statement The mission of the state university system shall be to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population…

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