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It's more like no politician wants to be seen as "soft on crime," and this carries over to "soft on criminals." Doing anything to help people in prison once they get out is politically risky in a lot of places. Just look at the number of states where it's still legal to ask if someone has a criminal record on a job application. This not wanting to be "soft on crime" is particularly pathological in jurisdictions where judges are elected.

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I recall being asked on a job application whether I was ever arrested, regardless of conviction. In some places, mere involvement with law enforcement is taboo.

Would it be possible to verify if you lied answering that question?

Possible but costly. The US lacks a single information system regarding criminal history. There are private investigators, other private companies in the business of "record retrieval", but the results are not 100% accurate.

...and google. Many arrest records seem to be published online in the US.

Maybe not right away, but 5 years down the road when you're in an ugly power struggle with some other jerk for a middle management position HR might get an anonymous tip about how you lied on your resume.

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