Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on the need for Criminal Offender Record Information reform at the Massachusetts State House:

“As the District Attorney for Suffolk County, I take seriously my obligation to bring criminal offenders to justice, to serve victims, and to use all the powers of my office to protect the public safety. For a long time, the issue of CORI reform has been gridlocked with seemingly no middle ground to be found that balances the public safety with the goal of providing offenders with a fair opportunity to remake their lives as responsible, productive and law abiding citizens.

“Over the past two years, members of my staff and I have had the pleasure of engaging in wide ranging, substantive, and fact-based discussions about CORI reform with people of good will and tremendous integrity, representing any number of constituencies and perspectives on CORI reform. The result of those discussions was that I became convinced that the rights of employers to critical information, the hope of ex-offenders to earn a second chance – and I stress the word earn – and the all-important mandate to promote the public safety, were not mutually exclusive. In fact, the CORI reform provisions adopted by the Senate in November achieved this balance and deserve passage by the House as well.

“These smart, responsible, and responsive reform provisions give offenders who are sincere about moving on with their lives the opportunity they need while also giving employers the information they deserve to make appropriate hiring decisions. It facilitates a hiring process that resembles those used in professional offices like my own where a criminal background check is the final step in the process and not the first. This gives applicants an opportunity to get their foot in the door and, rather than being eliminated from consideration at the outset due to perhaps an infraction or youthful indiscretion, allows them to demonstrate growth, maturation and self-improvement in the intervening years.

“At the same time, the Senate CORI provisions are structured so as not to run afoul of or interfere with existing state and Federal law that expressly prohibits certain individuals from being employed in certain fields. The Senate provisions also address the all-important issue of making CORI more accurate and readable.

“In all, as Suffolk District Attorney I can support these CORI reform provisions because in so doing, I can assure the people I serve that this is in fact a smart-on-crime bill that serves the interests of public safety.

“I applaud the Senate, Governor Patrick, and the men and women standing here today for the time and effort each of them put into crafting these CORI reform provisions. It was a result of many months, if not years, of effort, listening, and coalition building. It strikes a deliberate and delicate balance that reflects the legitimate concerns of those who have been reluctant to support CORI reform as well as the worthy aspirations of those who believe that we can give those who are sincere in their desire to grow beyond their mistakes a second chance without undermining employers or compromising public safety. I applaud the Senate for its work in advancing CORI reform and I respectfully urge the House to pass the same.”