Out of jail … but still not free

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Why shouldn't this apply to sex offenders as well? Sounds a lot like the same BS sex offenders are dealing with. So if it applies to them, it should apply to sex offenders as well.

04/20/2007

CORI reformers say system broken Jobs, housing access sought

BOSTON— They like to say they have no faces, even as they marched by the hundreds yesterday, because the state Criminal Offender Record Information system makes no distinctions when it discriminates against people searching for jobs or housing.

Mothers who can’t attend their child’s field trips because of old crimes, and young adults rejected by community colleges because of a criminal past, joined hundreds of others who say they can’t find jobs or housing in a march and rally that overwhelmed the streets of Boston yesterday, en route to the Statehouse.

They called for reforms to a CORI system that follows them long after they’ve been released from jail. In many cases, it haunts those who were never sentenced to prison, even those who had criminal cases against them dismissed.

So they chanted, “Out of jail … but still not free,” as they marched from Roxbury Crossing to the Statehouse, stopping traffic along the way as spectators clapped for their cause. They waved signs and passed out fliers. Several locked themselves inside a makeshift prison cell, to show they still feel jailed even though they’re free.

“We don’t want a handout,” they said. “We just want jobs.”

CORI, as the system is known, became a notable topic in last year’s gubernatorial campaign, and advocates from across the state continued their case for reform yesterday in the march and rally at the Boston Common. Groups then branched throughout the Statehouse, lobbying legislators for reforms. Some 1,000 people came from across the state.

“All we’re asking for is hope, a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel,” said Sarah Assefa, of the Worcester-based Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement.

Ms. Assefa has no criminal record, but she has worked on behalf of the men she’s met who can’t find work, and the mothers who can’t find housing, because of a criminal past.

“CORI has no face,” she said. “CORI’s not tough on crime, it’s tough on people trying to do the right thing.”

Under the CORI system, a person’s felony record must be open — not sealed — for 15 years, beginning after the person has completed all parole or probation requirements such as community service. A misdemeanor crime will stay on a person’s record for 10 years. If a new crime is committed, the timeline starts over. Then, a person must be able to afford the court costs — and know he or she has the right to have the record expunged.

Meantime, employers or others looking to check someone’s criminal past can check CORI. About 80 percent of employers today do check CORI, and 40 percent refuse to hire anyone with a criminal record, regardless of how old the crime, according to EPOCA’s research.

The system, developed in 1972, was meant to create a database for law enforcement agencies while streamlining people’s personal information into one system, so it could be controlled.

Those calling for reform argued, however, that the setup has allowed employers and housing agencies to use blanket discrimination against anyone with a criminal record, without consideration for the nature of the crime, when it occurred, or whether there was ever a conviction. Plus, there’s no consideration for rehabilitation services that were completed, advocates for reform said.

People have been refused promotions at video stores because of a criminal past, according to EPOCA’s work. Manufacturing companies in Worcester, including one that produces textbooks, and places such as supermarkets and doughnut shops have refused people work because of their CORI, according to EPOCA members.

Those lobbying for reform have called for reducing the time before a record can be sealed, from 15 to 7 years for a felony, and from 10 to three years for a misdemeanor. Also, agencies other than law enforcement would be limited to viewing records of convictions and pending cases. The proposal would ban employer discrimination if someone’s criminal history would not pertain to the job.

Advocates cited statistics showing that people who have stayed crime-free for seven years have less than a 1 percent chance of re-offending. They questioned why CORI should haunt them when they’ve escaped a criminal past.

Those calling for reform said they aren’t lobbying for changes to the Sex Offender Registry, which they said deals with crimes of a different nature. They acknowledged that certain sensitive businesses, such as child care, should have the right to look at a job candidate’s criminal history. But they argued against the blanket policy of refusing to hire anyone with a criminal record, regardless of the nature of the crime. A person’s rehabilitation also should be part of the CORI system, they said.

“I deserve to be able to be working. There’s nothing wrong with me,” said Emma Bradley, 28, a member of EPOCA.

But still, she can’t get a job, housing or even attend field trips with her children — both of whom were born long after she was arrested nine years ago during a drug raid, she said. She pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and served a probation sentence. She was 19 at the time, and has not been able to live down that transgression in the eyes of others.

“This is after you’ve paid your debt to society,” she said.