by Angela Caputo-Papastamos and Jason Pramas (Staff), May-23-08
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/169
BOSTON/Beacon Hill - After marching for 5 days from Worcester to Boston for reform of the Criminal Offender Record Inquiry system in Massachusetts, a group of over a dozen ex-prisoners and supporters led by members of Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement was received by a lively 250-person rally in front of the State House yesterday. Allies from labor, community and religious groups from across the Commonwealth were on hand.
"50 miles is nothing compared to the pain and suffering we've endured for CORI Reform," said Debra Murray, Neighbor to Neighbor Springfield Coordinator , "And we didn't march for nothing ... if I have to, I will march to the White House."
The march and rally are part of a growing movement to change a system that advocates believe keeps ex-prisoners out of decent jobs, housing and volunteer opportunities long after they've served their time and completed probation. Regardless of type of offense they've committed.
"It doesn't matter if you're innocent, guilty, or your case was dismissed - you still have a CORI, and no second chance," said rally MC Wilnelia Rivera, another Neighbor to Neighbor staffer.
Advocates are asking state government for 3 changes to CORI: shorten the time period for sealing records to 7 years for felonies and 3 years for misdemeanors after completion of probation (currently at 15 and 10 years respectively), remove non-convictions from the CORI system, and institute fair hiring practices by removing the standard section asking ex-prisoners to "check the box if you have a criminal record" from hiring applications.
"I have a non-conviction CORI record from over twenty years ago and it's branded on my forehead like a scarlet letter. No matter what I do, I can't get a job," said Judith Foster," Boston Workers Alliance member. "We need to change this broken system to give single-mothers like me a chance to support our families."
Despite the attendance of a couple of politicians, including State Senator Edward Augustus (D-Worcester), CORI reformers still have a uphill battle in state government before reforms will be enacted. As such, attendees spent the rest of the afternoon inside the State House lobbying legislators in the midst of ongoing annual budget hearings.
For more information, check out the websites of Boston Workers Alliance and Neighbor to Neighbor.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Advocates of limiting crime-record use fault Patrick bill
By John C. Drake
Globe Staff / May 23, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/23/advocates_of_limiting_crime_record_use_fault_patrick_bill/?page=full
Advocates for limiting the use of criminal records in hiring decisions say they are disappointed that Governor Deval Patrick, who promised reform as a candidate, offered a bill they say falls short and that has failed to advance in the House.
Dozens of people with criminal records ended a four-day march from Worcester to Boston yesterday with a State House rally, where they called for drastic changes to the use of Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI, which advocates say has denied them jobs and education years after they paid their debts to society.
"God wipes away your past, but society doesn't allow you to move on," said Debra Murray, 50, who served 2 1/2 years' probation following a marijuana possession and distribution conviction in 1993. "I made a bad decision in 1993, and since then I've gotten a job, but when they did a background check and found out I had a felony record, I was released from that job."
Since taking office, Patrick has issued an executive order barring state agencies from considering a job applicant's criminal record until after a person is deemed qualified for the position. He also revised the state's use of CORI to allow people with criminal records to work at agencies that receive funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Advocates hailed those as positive steps, but say they were disappointed his CORI reform legislation requires a longer waiting period before criminal records are sealed than would the Public Safety Act, which passed the state Senate two years ago. Patrick's bill, under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee, reduces from 10 years to five the time that must pass before a misdemeanor is sealed in a person's record, and reduces the waiting period from 15 years to 10 for felonies. The Public Safety Act would reduce the waiting period to three years and seven years, respectively.
"When Deval Patrick campaigned, he campaigned for strong criminal justice reform," said Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods. "What's starting to emerge is a pattern of - and I'm only speaking on behalf of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods - that Deval Patrick ain't who he says he is."
Patrick, who faced accusations of being soft on crime during his gubernatorial campaign, did not publicly commit to specific CORI-reform legislation as a candidate. He was attacked during his primary campaign for supporting the Public Safety Act, but he denied being a supporter, and his name was removed from a website listing backers of the legislation. But he said he supported CORI reform in general and introduced his specific legislation in January. A spokeswoman for Patrick referred calls about CORI-reform legislation to Kevin M. Burke, secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety.
"No matter what's done, not everyone is going to be satisfied," said Terrel Harris, a spokesman for Burke. "But it is movement in the right direction."
Harris stressed the bill cuts in half the amount of time a person would have to wait to have his or her criminal record sealed. But it's not enough, the advocates say.
"His sealing time is too long," said Steve O'Neill, executive director of the Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, based in Worcester. "Studies show that if someone doesn't" commit another crime in seven years, "there's less than a 1 percent chance that they would."
In addition, advocates said the governor's legislation falls short in that it does not prevent employers from asking about an employee's criminal record early in the job search or remove nonconvictions from the criminal record.
Opponents of CORI reform legislation say employers ought to have more, not less, access to potential employees' criminal records.
Associated Industries of Massachusetts, an employer advocacy group, has called CORI a vital tool for due diligence in the hiring and screening process. The group is opposed to any changes to employer access to the database.
Aaron Tanaka, Boston Workers Alliance executive director, said, however, that he wished the governor was pressing more for the Legislature to act on the bill before this year's session expires.
"Our concern is that he's passed the buck," Tanaka said. "We don't think that he is doing enough to push this measure through the Legislature."
David Guarino, a spokesman for House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, said House leaders and Burke are "working aggressively" to reach an agreement on CORI reform legislation.
"We're working with the secretary now to come up with the strongest possible proposal," Guarino said.
Representative Eugene O'Flaherty, Democrat of Charlestown, said the Judiciary Committee has been occupied, but he expects the committee to send a CORI reform package to the full House before the session ends in July.
"We plan on having a piece of legislation on the table that is CORI-related and involves some of the issues that the governor has raised in his filing and some other issues that we think will make some sense," O'Flaherty said.
Harris said the administration wants the House to act on his bill this session.
"We're trying to make sure they understand what we're trying to accomplish, and that is to fulfill the wishes of the governor to reform CORI to make it easier for those who have criminal-offender records to lead productive, fruitful lives and not be penalized for something they may have done earlier in their lives."
O'Neill suggested another year's delay on CORI reform would not be acceptable.
"I just hope they understand there are a lot of people who can't wait another year for the details of this to be sorted out," O'Neill said.
Juan Filomeno, 50, of Worcester said he has not been able to get work as a travel agent or auto mechanic - fields in which he is trained - due to a felony conviction on charges related to domestic violence. He most recently was turned down for a custodial job.
Filomeno was one of dozens of former convicts to walk the last leg of the 50-mile march.
"Our hope is that this type of demonstration will raise the issue of CORI so that legislators know that we're not going away, because the problem doesn't go away until we pass legitimate CORI reform."
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com .
Globe Staff / May 23, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/23/advocates_of_limiting_crime_record_use_fault_patrick_bill/?page=full
Advocates for limiting the use of criminal records in hiring decisions say they are disappointed that Governor Deval Patrick, who promised reform as a candidate, offered a bill they say falls short and that has failed to advance in the House.
Dozens of people with criminal records ended a four-day march from Worcester to Boston yesterday with a State House rally, where they called for drastic changes to the use of Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI, which advocates say has denied them jobs and education years after they paid their debts to society.
"God wipes away your past, but society doesn't allow you to move on," said Debra Murray, 50, who served 2 1/2 years' probation following a marijuana possession and distribution conviction in 1993. "I made a bad decision in 1993, and since then I've gotten a job, but when they did a background check and found out I had a felony record, I was released from that job."
Since taking office, Patrick has issued an executive order barring state agencies from considering a job applicant's criminal record until after a person is deemed qualified for the position. He also revised the state's use of CORI to allow people with criminal records to work at agencies that receive funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Advocates hailed those as positive steps, but say they were disappointed his CORI reform legislation requires a longer waiting period before criminal records are sealed than would the Public Safety Act, which passed the state Senate two years ago. Patrick's bill, under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee, reduces from 10 years to five the time that must pass before a misdemeanor is sealed in a person's record, and reduces the waiting period from 15 years to 10 for felonies. The Public Safety Act would reduce the waiting period to three years and seven years, respectively.
"When Deval Patrick campaigned, he campaigned for strong criminal justice reform," said Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods. "What's starting to emerge is a pattern of - and I'm only speaking on behalf of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods - that Deval Patrick ain't who he says he is."
Patrick, who faced accusations of being soft on crime during his gubernatorial campaign, did not publicly commit to specific CORI-reform legislation as a candidate. He was attacked during his primary campaign for supporting the Public Safety Act, but he denied being a supporter, and his name was removed from a website listing backers of the legislation. But he said he supported CORI reform in general and introduced his specific legislation in January. A spokeswoman for Patrick referred calls about CORI-reform legislation to Kevin M. Burke, secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety.
"No matter what's done, not everyone is going to be satisfied," said Terrel Harris, a spokesman for Burke. "But it is movement in the right direction."
Harris stressed the bill cuts in half the amount of time a person would have to wait to have his or her criminal record sealed. But it's not enough, the advocates say.
"His sealing time is too long," said Steve O'Neill, executive director of the Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, based in Worcester. "Studies show that if someone doesn't" commit another crime in seven years, "there's less than a 1 percent chance that they would."
In addition, advocates said the governor's legislation falls short in that it does not prevent employers from asking about an employee's criminal record early in the job search or remove nonconvictions from the criminal record.
Opponents of CORI reform legislation say employers ought to have more, not less, access to potential employees' criminal records.
Associated Industries of Massachusetts, an employer advocacy group, has called CORI a vital tool for due diligence in the hiring and screening process. The group is opposed to any changes to employer access to the database.
Aaron Tanaka, Boston Workers Alliance executive director, said, however, that he wished the governor was pressing more for the Legislature to act on the bill before this year's session expires.
"Our concern is that he's passed the buck," Tanaka said. "We don't think that he is doing enough to push this measure through the Legislature."
David Guarino, a spokesman for House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, said House leaders and Burke are "working aggressively" to reach an agreement on CORI reform legislation.
"We're working with the secretary now to come up with the strongest possible proposal," Guarino said.
Representative Eugene O'Flaherty, Democrat of Charlestown, said the Judiciary Committee has been occupied, but he expects the committee to send a CORI reform package to the full House before the session ends in July.
"We plan on having a piece of legislation on the table that is CORI-related and involves some of the issues that the governor has raised in his filing and some other issues that we think will make some sense," O'Flaherty said.
Harris said the administration wants the House to act on his bill this session.
"We're trying to make sure they understand what we're trying to accomplish, and that is to fulfill the wishes of the governor to reform CORI to make it easier for those who have criminal-offender records to lead productive, fruitful lives and not be penalized for something they may have done earlier in their lives."
O'Neill suggested another year's delay on CORI reform would not be acceptable.
"I just hope they understand there are a lot of people who can't wait another year for the details of this to be sorted out," O'Neill said.
Juan Filomeno, 50, of Worcester said he has not been able to get work as a travel agent or auto mechanic - fields in which he is trained - due to a felony conviction on charges related to domestic violence. He most recently was turned down for a custodial job.
Filomeno was one of dozens of former convicts to walk the last leg of the 50-mile march.
"Our hope is that this type of demonstration will raise the issue of CORI so that legislators know that we're not going away, because the problem doesn't go away until we pass legitimate CORI reform."
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com .
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