CJPC on this weeks CORI Hearing

Dear Friends,

As we reported in January, Governor Patrick issued an Executive Order and a bill to address needed changes to the current Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system and ex-offender re-entry. We commend the governor for his commitment to removing the barriers that prevent ex-offenders from obtaining housing and employment and we are optimistic that the administration will continue to address the broader problem of re-entry.
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary has announced a public hearing on Tuesday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. in Room A-1 at the State House to hear testimony on H.B. 4476 "An Act to Reduce Recidivism By Increasing Employment Opportunities," submitted by Gov. Patrick. Please make every effort to attend this hearing and support meaningful CORI reform!

While CJPC has advocated for the Public Safety Act 2007-2008 (PSA) we (along with our partners in a broader coalition) agree that the bill is no longer viable and that it will be most effective if we support certain proposals submitted by the governor but continue to push for three elements of the PSA:

sealing of records after seven years for a felony and three years for a misdemeanor
prospective employees are first deemed qualified for a job before their CORI record is checked
non-convictions should be removed from an individual's CORI.

The governor has proposed that criminal records for felonies be sealed after ten years and misdemeanor records be sealed after five years, beginning at the end of probation or other court-ordered supervision. Studies have shown that if an ex-offender stays crime-free for three years the likelihood of his/her re-offending is reduced to statistically non-significant levels. The longer a CORI record prevents an ex-offender from finding housing and employment the more likely he/she is to revert back to crime. Therefore, while we support the governor's effort to reduce the time for sealing of records, we urge that the sealing of criminal records be three years for misdemeanors and seven years for felonies (following probation) as was proposed in the Public Safety Act of 2007-2008.

Individuals seeking employment should be determined to be qualified for a position before their CORI record becomes part of the hiring process. And, every job applicant who has a criminal history should be given the opportunity to discuss their CORI record, and the chance to inform an employer of any rehabilitative services or programs they have participated in during or post-incarceration.

CORI reports are generated at arraignment, so one need not be found guilty of a crime to have a CORI. We strongly urge that the records of individuals who have never been convicted be sealed.

I hope you will plan to attend the hearing on Tuesday. In addition, I want to encourage you to contact the co-chairs of the judiciary committee by telephone, e-mail or letter to express your support for the important re-entry reforms outlined above. It will be helpful if you let me know that you have contacted them and copy me on your correspondence. Please see their contact information below. We will keep you informed about the status of the governor's bill and continued efforts by CJPC and our coalition allies to ensure that sealing, fair hiring and removal of non-convictions continue to be considered by the judiciary committee and the legislature.

Best, Sarah Compton

Contact information for co-chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary:
Sen. Robert S. Creedon, Jr. State House, Rm. 413-C Boston, MA 02133 (617) 722-1200 robert.creedon@state.ma.us Rep. Eugene L. O'Flaherty State House, Rm. 136 Boston, MA 02133 (617) 722-2396

email: scompton@cjpc.org

phone: 617 426 5222

web: http://www.cjpc.org