CORI Reform Rally in Chelsea

Chelsea Mass. - Community members and activists gathered in Bellingham Square on Saturday to rally Chelsea residents around Criminal Offender Record Information reform. About 25 participants held signs and distributed fliers (D-Chelsea) calling on Chelsea residents to call Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty to support An Act to Reform CORI (H. 3523) in the Mass. House of Representatives. The event - jointly organized by the Boston Workers Alliance and the Chelsea Collaborative - marks increased pressure by advocates calling for passage of the CORI reform bill before the legislative session ends in July. Similar legislation has already passed the Mass. Senate (S. 1608) last November but the bill must also pass the House to become law. As chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary O’Flaherty is in a key position to move forward on CORI reform. The CORI system is facing mounting criticism for restricting ex-offenders’ ability to gain employment and find housing. “The legislature lacks an understanding of what happens when the judicial system is telling people they are ready to re-enter society but we don’t let them get jobs or housing ” said Marjorie Decker Cambridge city councilor and candidate for State Senate. Advocates point out that CORI also affects those who were not convicted. A woman named Mary - who declined to give her last name - described her experience with CORI “Sixteen years ago I made a mistake and was charged with a crime. The charges were dismissed but my CORI kept me from volunteering as a chaperone on my daughter’s field trip.” On Monday O’Flaherty indicated his support for CORI reform. “We are currently working on moving the Senate CORI reform legislation through the House Ways and Means Committee. I have personally indicated to Gov. Patrick that I support CORI reform. With the governor’s support and the fact that legislation has already been passed by the Senate I am hopeful we will have CORI reform by the end of this session.” Aaron Tanaka director of the Boston Workers Alliance was encouraged by the support of a growing number of state legislators as the organizing drive continues. “We will continue organizing and phone banking in Chelsea and communities across the state to educate the public about the benefits of CORI reform. We want legislators to feel good about enacting reform not only because it’s the right thing to do but because it will benefit their communities.” Chelsea United Against the War Service Employees International Local 615 and Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein were also in attendance. There were no counter-demonstrators at the event. Bookmark/Search this post with: Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Newsvine Facebook Google Yahoo Technorati