You're recently released and you're not quite sure where to begin or how to proceed - but proceed you must. You need a place to live. You need new clothes. You need to finish school. You need a job. You need an attorney to explain if or how you may reunify with your family. You need to find a support group. And the list goes on.
Of course we can help you make sense of your options - but there are some basics every savvy WORCing woman really must know. A good place to begin is by accessing The CORI Reader, a guidebook to understanding the purpose and scope of criminal record-keeping in Massachusetts. It's published by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
In addition, The Prisoners Reentry Working Group has prepared a directory of resources partly available from their website.
Next, if you haven't already, you should obtain a copy of your criminal record, and WORC staff can help you submit the required paperwork to the Criminal History Systems Board. This is important for two reasons: (1) you have to verify that what is contained in your CORI is accurate and (2) you need to see what it looks like on paper. Employers requesting your CORI are going to see your convictions, after all - so you can't afford to be caught off guard.
Finally, if you're interested in lobbying for CORI reform, check out the Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI.
