With increased calls nationwide to reduce barriers for ex-offenders as they re-enter society, much of the conversation has centered on “Ban the Box,” an effort to remove questions on employment applications that gauge whether someone has been convicted of a crime.

Earlier today, Right on Crime policy analyst Greg Glod appeared on KUT-Austin to discuss “Ban the Box” within the larger context of re-entry initiatives–particularly as the federal government is poised to eliminate the box for federal job applicants–and also discussed “orders of nondisclosure,” an alternative to the practice recently passed in Texas.

Orders of nondisclosure (OND) allow certain low-level ex-offenders to petition a court to have their records sealed from the view of most public or private entities, excepting law enforcement and other sensitive industries. Because individuals must seek an OND–as opposed to “Ban the Box,” which is a mandate on businesses–this encourages ex-offenders to accept personal responsibility for themselves, as they must remain law-abiding throughout the entire process.

In this interview, Glod provides a substantive, free-market perspective on the difference between federal and private employers, and why orders of nondisclosure are a better option than banning the box: