Lew Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, has strong opinions on the use of criminal records by employers:

"One in every four adults has a criminal record. Employers have legitimate concerns about hiring such people; no one wants to see a person with a DUI driving a school bus. But many employers refuse to hire anyone with a criminal record for any job, no matter how minor the conviction or how long ago it occurred.

A teenager arrested for marijuana possession, shoplifting, or driving under the influence follows a person for the rest of their lives. The result is a perfect storm. People with records who cannot get a job are far more likely to com it a new criminal offense, creating millions of crime victims. The additional arrests clog our court system and required thousands of new prisons, costing taxpayers billions of dollars. Employers lose valuable potential employees. Having millions of people with records unemployed is a drain on our economy."

• What has the National Worksrights Institute been doing about this problem?
• How would a utilitarian?