Message from CJPC

Dear Friends,

CJPC has posted at the web site www.cjpg.org the text of Governor Patrick's testimony before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee in support of his own bill for CORI reform. The Governor was warmly welcomed by Co-Chair of the Judiciary Eugene O'Flaherty, as the "first working Governor in over ten years." The Governor has already issued an Executive Order which significantly advances the cause of CORI reform. The Governor's testimony gives a substantial boost to his proposed legislation, and the testimony stresses many of the same points that CJPC and its allies have been making in advocating for CORI reform. These points include that:
at least 95% of all prisoners are eventually released;

20,000 prisoners are released every year in Massachusetts out of a total population of over 25,000 prisoners held in the county jails and state prisons;
reducing recidivism among released prisoners, is an effective way of reducing crime, because at the present time almost half of released prisoners recidivate after one year;
access to employment, housing and services substantially reduce recidivism rates;
programs like the Parole Board's Transitional Housing Program cost 50% of the $43,000 that it costs per year to keep a prisoner incarcerated.

if a released prisoner has not reoffended within 3 years [for a misdemeanor] and 7 years [for a felony] there is very little chance that he or she will reoffend;
spending money on rehabilitation efforts and neglecting to provide the necessary post-release support is bad fiscal policy.

There is still room for improvement in the Governor's proposed CORI legislation including proposed amendments which would:
1. allow sealing of records after seven years for a felony and three years for a misdemeanor; 2. require that prospective employees be first deemed qualified for a job before their CORI record is checked; 3. provide that non-convictions should be removed from an individual's CORI.

Sincerely,

Joel Pentlarge

email: chair@cjpc.org
phone: 617 426 5222
web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Ce8ovez19p0ox1mOvZs2FxFhLSnt5ruWLcLzKsueQDzdoeWy99hBQlNm6LaiwLfjDOVOHMpJhjLEh7xi-U8H9zkCzIcG9Gc7N70tDLo0i5Q=