CORI Reform Now!

ALL OUT FOR CORI REFORM!

On Tuesday, September 18th, all concerned residents are called to the State House to demand CORI reform, now! This is our opportunity to demonstrate the urgency of the CORI crisis.

When: This Tuesday, Sept 18th

Rally / Press Conference
11:30am~12:30 pm @ Steps of the State House

CORI Reform Hearing
1pm~6pm @ State House Room B1

Demand passage of the Public Safety Act of 2007 (H.1416) to win comprehensive CORI Reform this year.

Call us @ (617) 427-8108

www.BostonWorkersAlliance.org

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Have You Called Your Legislators Yet?

Find out who your elected officials are by going to www.wheredoivotema.com. Scroll to the bottom of the page and find your Rep. and Senator in the General Court.

Call the State House operator at (617) 722-2000 and ask the operator to transfer you to your Rep or Senator.

Once you are speaking to your legislator's staff, tell them that you support "The Public Safety Act" House Bill 1416, and ask them what they are doing to help pass CORI reform.

Please voice the two demands below:

1) Lower the waiting period for sealing a CORI to 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony. The current law requires a 10-15 years waiting period to seal a record. These long waiting periods prevent us from moving on with our lives and securing decent employment.

2) Demand an "anti-discrimination" law that only allows employers to check a CORI after they decide that the applicant is qualified for the job. Employers that ask about a criminal record on job applications generally weed out job seekers before they even consider our resumes or qualifications. The CORI should not be used unless it is directly related to the job at hand.

Other key figures to call:

Governor Deval Patrick (617) 725-4005
Undersecretary Heffernan (617) 727-7775, Patrick's point person on the CORI

Speaker of the House DiMasi, (617) 722-2500
Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Representative O'Flaherty (617) 722-2396

Email cori.reform@gmail.com to let us know you called! Thank you for helping the movement for jobs and CORI reform.

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What would the Public Safety Act of 2007 do?
H.1416 Fact Sheet

CORI Access

- It would ensure that anyone who has access to CORI other than criminal justice agencies would only get convictions and pending cases.

- It would require that those with access to CORI be trained and pass an examination in reading and understanding a CORI report.

CORI Sealing and Purging

- It would begin sealing all records of felonies more than 7 years old and all misdemeanors more than 3 years old, unless there has been an intervening conviction punishable by 1 year of incarceration or more.

- It would allow for the complete purging of juvenile records upon petition and require the judge to take into account a number of factors before making a decision.

Non-discrimination

- It would make it a discriminatory act to take adverse action against an applicant or employee for merely having a criminal record, but would allow adverse action based on one or more convictions that "substantially relate to the circumstances of a particular employment."

Mandatory Minimums

- It would allow people sentenced under "mandatory minimum" drug laws to seek parole after serving 2/3 of their sentences, thereby making them eligible for drug treatment and other rehabilitative programs prior to release.

Certificate of Commitment to Rehabilitation

- It would create a "Certificate of Commitment to Rehabilitation" so that a record of programs completed in prison or afterwards would be included in a person's CORI.