[act-ma] 6/30 CORI Reform Lobby Day (Tues)

[Janet]

ALL OUT FOR CORI REFORM!

CORI Reform Press Conference & Lobby Day

   											Tuesday, June 30th

11-12:30pm

State House

Grand Staircase

  Confirmed CORI reform speakers include Mayor Thomas Menino, Sheriff  
Andrea Cabral, Bob Haynes (AFL-CIO), State Rep. Liz Malia and State  
Senator Harriette Chandler, Northeastern Labor Economist Andrew Sum  
and others.

CORI Background: Growing access to criminal background information  
prevents hundreds of thousands of MA residents from obtaining work,  
housing and education loans every year. Unregulated CORI practices  
lead employers to overlook qualified and motivated applicants for  
work. Meanwhile, ex-offenders who are unable to secure legal  
employment and housing are more likely to re-offend and enter a  
costly cycle of re-incarceration. People of Color are  
disproportionately penalized by these unregulated CORI practices.   
CORI reform in 2009 presents an immediate, cost-free strategy to  
reduce state expenses while improving public safety.

An Act to Reform CORI, Restore Opportunity, and Improve Public  
Safety: HB 3523/SB 1608
Bans the Criminal History Question from Initial Job Applications
·      Allows employers to check CORI only after an applicant has  
been deemed “otherwise qualified” for the position.

·      Alters the timing of a criminal record inquiry but does not  
limit an employer’s access to such information.


Allows those who have not re-offended to seal old misdemeanor cases  
after 3 years and old felony records after 7 years
·      Currently, a person’s felony record is accessible for 15 years  
and a misdemeanor is open for 10 years which prevents people who want  
to be productive members of society to move on.

·      Countless longitudinal studies have shown that if an ex- 
offender stays crime free for 5-6 years, the likelihood of his/her re- 
offending drops to statistically non-significant levels.

  Removes not guilty and dismissed cases from the CORI
·      Job applicants should not be punished for cases in which there  
was no finding of guilt.

For full text of the Senate bill, go to:

http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/186/st01pdf/ST01608.PDF

  for more information on CORI Reform, go to

http://www.bostonworkersalliance.org

  
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