People with criminal records will have a chance to wipe the slate clean at a series of events in western Massachusetts next month.
At these free events, volunteers with Western New England University School of Law’s Center for Social Justice will help people through the process of expunging or sealing their criminal record.
The goal is to provide second chances and access to career opportunities, said University President Robert Johnson.
“We’re not waiting any longer to make this happen to bring about equality and justice within our system,” Johnson said.
Partners in the initiative along with Western New England University are MGM Springfield, MassMutual and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.
On October 3, volunteers, who include practicing attorneys and law students, will help people request a free copy of their Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) report. That help is available from 1p.m. – 5p.m.
Then on October 26th from 2 p.m.- 5p.m., the volunteers will help eligible people file the necessary paperwork to expunge or seal their records.
Both events will take place at MGM Springfield.
In Massachusetts, people charged with a misdemeanor can clear their record three years after their arrest. For a felony, it is a seven-year waiting period.
Dorothy Varon, lead corporate counsel for MassMutual, and a volunteer at the Center for Social Justice, said even if a person is found not guilty, the arrest record can follow them for life.
“If you want to volunteer, you have to have a CORI check done,” Varon said. “For people who want to do good in the world, get a job, get housing, it is a really important right they need to understand.”
The process to seal or expunge a criminal record is fairly simple, said Varon.
“Understanding it is not easy,” she said. “If you have somebody helping you understand then it is a form that gets filled out.”
As part of the Oct. 3 event, MGM Springfield will host a job fair. The company is looking to fill about 200 positions, said director of public affairs Beth Ward.
“We have positions open from line-level up to manager,” Ward said. “We are looking, we are hiring, and this is another step in giving back to the community.”
People with criminal records can work in non-gaming areas of the casino campus such as the restaurants, retail stores, and the hotel, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
State law bars people convicted of felonies or financial crimes, fraud and perjury from getting a license to work on the gaming side of the casino.
