Allegheny County has joined the growing number of state, county and local governments who will no longer have job applications that require people to check a box if they've been convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor.
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says the measure will make it easier for people with criminal records to get a second chance at turning their lives around.
Because of state and federal laws, applicants will still be asked about their criminal record if they want jobs at the county jail or juvenile detention center, the county police, or with the departments of Human Services and Emergency Services, or to work at a county-run nursing home.
The county now has about 7,000 employees and 56 job openings. About half of those positions are for jobs that don't require the criminal record information.
