Dive Brief:

• A campus group at Princeton University has organized a petition drive against the university’s practice of asking whether undergraduate admissions applicants have a criminal background.
• The group, Students for Prison Education and Reform, argues that because of racial and economic discrimination in the U.S. justice system, a criminal record shouldn’t be a factor when evaluating personal character or academic potential.
• According to Inside Higher Ed, 0.48% of the applicants to all colleges in the Common Application for the 2013-2014 admissions cycle, through March 6, answered “yes” to the criminal background question.

Dive Insight:

Are the criminally minded going to honestly answer the question about their backgrounds? With such a small percentage of applicants answering “yes” to the question, is this an issue worth worrying about? Or is it a question that even needs to be asked? Princeton says it wants to learn as much as possible about its applicants, including the circumstances around a criminal record, but a record doesn’t eliminate a candidate from consideration. Campus security advocates support the use of the question. The Princeton petitioning group says that the university should welcome the diversity that would come from including people who have experience with the justice system, especially considering that about a quarter of U.S. adults have a criminal record. Also, the group argues, there is no compelling evidence to show that those with a criminal record are more likely to commit another crime.