CORI Reform Needed Now
Last fall, legislation I sponsored reforming the Massachusetts Criminal Offenders Record Information (CORI) law was passed by the State Senate as part of a comprehensive criminal justice bill. The legislation is now pending before the House of Representatives, and if we act soon, we can make Massachusetts more efficient and fair when disseminating criminal records histories to employers, while continuing to provide crucial public safety protections for our businesses and citizens.
Database Clean Up
Reform is important for many reasons. Perhaps most fundamentally, the current record-keeping system is clearly broken. A report by Massachusetts State Auditor A. Joseph DeNucci in 2007 found that the system has been plagued with errors, both by not including criminal offenders who should be in the system, and including others by mistake. My bill establishes a new, accurate and secure online database available to employers, housing providers, volunteer organizations and professional licensing bodies to use in decision making.
Also, the current time limits on the sealing of CORI records are excessive, counterproductive, and not supported by scientific evidence. Right now, the records of those convicted — or even acquitted — of a crime can’t be sealed until 10 years after a misdemeanor and 15 years after a felony.
The reform legislation would reduce these waiting periods to five years for a misdemeanor and 10 years for a felony. Studies have indicated these shorter times more accurately reflect statistics on recidivism. It also removes acquittals from the CORI report available to most employers.
It is very important to note that the bill does not restrict law enforcement’s access to CORI records, including sealed records — they will still have full and immediate access.
Of course CORI reform is primarily a story about individuals and families. Our existing CORI system is a significant deterrent to ex-offenders seeking employment. The likelihood of ex-offenders successfully reintegrating into society can best be predicted by whether or not they are able to find adequate housing and employment.
It is especially necessary in these trying economic times that ex-offenders become financially independent in order to be able to support their families and avoid becoming permanent burdens on the state’s limited resources.
We can in fact be both tough on crime and smart on crime, and this CORI reform accomplishes that goal. In fact, in the State Senate, even senators who opposed the overall crime package that contained CORI reform spoke on the floor of the Senate in favor of the CORI reform provisions.
Indeed, many business groups not normally associated with CORI reform advocacy, such as the Associated Industries of Massachusetts and our own Worcester Area Regional Chamber of Commerce, have been supportive of this new CORI reform initiative.
In a legislative session that has been dedicated to reform, from pensions to ethics to transportation, we can take another crucial step forward for our state and its citizens by enacting CORI reform.
Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester, is the state senator representing Berlin, Boylston, Holden, Paxton, Princeton, West Boylston as well as portions of Worcester, Clinton and Northborough.
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