SUCCESS STORIES

Massachusetts activists have helped increase access to housing and jobs for ex-offenders by reforming the state’s criminal record system.

The Foley Hoag Foundation’s mission of improving race relations in the Boston area supports a grantmaking portfolio that emphasizes grassroots activism. Since 2006, the foundation has funded the Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI, a statewide coalition dedicated to reforming the Criminal Offender Record Information system.

What is CORI?

The Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Act of 1972 was created to protect the privacy of people with criminal records. The law restricts access of these records to criminal justice officials and agencies. The records, known as CORIs, list the holder’s Massachusetts criminal history and include all criminal charges even if they did not result in a conviction.

Abuse of the Criminal Records System

Over the years, state agencies, housing authorities and other entities have gained access to the criminal records. Ideally, access to the records guards employers from unknowingly hiring people with violent pasts or histories of criminal sexual misconduct.

Unfortunately, the Massachusetts criminal record-keeping system is not as private as it was intended to be. The records are accessible to thousands of state employers. Increased public access to the records and frequent errors in the documents has contributed to instances of identity theft, false arrests, and inappropriate releases of information.

Criminal records are also difficult to read and are easily misinterpreted. Activists have regularly spoken out about patterns of discrimination. CORI holders with old records or even those declared innocent, for example, have been discriminated against by public housing agencies, potential employers, and institutions of higher education.

Grassroots organizations such as the Union of Minority Neighborhoods and Boston Workers’ Alliance say that the existing system locks ex-offenders out of hundreds of job opportunities. The abuse of the criminal record system by employers, they argue, leads to chronic unemployment, homelessness and relapse into crime in communities of color.

Reform and Advocacy Efforts

Passing antidiscrimination ordinances in Boston, Cambridge, and Springfield was the first set of victories Massachusetts Alliance of CORI Reform’s campaign. The ordinances bar companies that discriminate against ex-offenders from doing business with these cities and have raised public awareness of the problem.

A second phase of the campaign succeeded in getting Governor Deval Patrick to sign an executive order in January 2008, to create fair housing policies for state agencies and a training requirement for state employees.

The executive order, largely drafted by Alliance members, requires that employers requesting CORI reports be trained how to properly read the information. The governor’s order will also prevent state agencies from disqualifying applicants with criminal records from consideration before reviewing their resume, references and motivation.

Finally, the Alliance has helped develop programs that help ex-offenders understand and advocate for their rights.  Another Foundation grantee, Greater Boston Legal Services provides educational workshops on how to seal CORI records and represents clients on individual cases regarding criminal records.

Looking Ahead

The Alliance’s final hurdle will be to re-file legislation to change the Criminal Offender Record Information law. The legislation supported by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI will address access to criminal records, accuracy, and provisions to seal old records. The bill will be re-introduced during the 2009-2010 session.

With its support of these collaborative efforts to reform an unfair system, the Foley Hoag Foundation hopes that help ex-offenders who have paid their dues can move on with their lives.

Project Name: Criminal Offender Record Information Reform Campaign
Grantee: Massachusetts Alliance for CORI Reform
Project Location: Massachusetts
Grantmaker: Foley Hoag Foundation

For more Information Contact:
Yasmin Shah, Foley Hoag Foundation c/o GMA Foundations, 617-426-7080;
Horace Small, Executive Director, Union of Minority Neighborhoods 617-522-3349