Job applicants with conviction histories are protected from unfair discrimination by the New York State Human Rights Law (NYS Exec Law §296 (15) & (16)) and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYC Admin. Code § 8-107(11)), as well as the New York State Correction Law (§§750-755). Links to the text of these statutes may be found in the Law & Regulations sub-folder of this Library.

Individuals who think they have been unlawfully discriminated against may file a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. If the employer is in New York City, the applicant may file a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. This folder contains sample complaints.