D.C. Council member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, thinks that ex-convicts should be able to find jobs when they get out of jail so they can become self-supporting, law-abiding citizens. So does The Washington Examiner. In D.C., where three-quarters of all black men reportedly spend at least some time incarcerated, rehabilitation is not only a noble but a necessary goal.

But as usual, the former mayor took things too far when he proposed legislation to bar businesses from inquiring about a potential hire’s criminal background until after a job offer has been made. Barry also wanted to give “returning citizens” — his euphemism for convicted murderers, robbers, rapists and drug dealers — new legal rights allowing them to accuse employers of hiring discrimination if they didn’t get the job.