Massachusetts is considering a bill that would automatically seal criminal records for eligible citizens. This topic was originally referenced in discussions about an initiative called #ProjectOpportunity, which was launched in Boston by then-Mayor Martin Walsh in 2020.

Project Opportunity provides free legal consultation to Boston residents who have Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), also known as police records. The legal experts help them determine if their CORIs are eligible for sealing and expungement, and it also covers the fees associated with filing the paperwork.

CORIs can have a limiting effect on employment opportunities. As Martin Walsh, stated when the program was launched: "no matter their past, we owe it to our residents to provide the legal services and job-training programs to achieve a better future." Project Opportunity is orchestrated by the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development and the Mayor's Office of Public Safety, in conjunction with several organizations responsible for managing CORIs.

Supporters of this project believe that CORIs are a detriment to citizens' growth and rehabilitation, as they create employment and housing obstacles for people looking to rebuild their lives. Representative Liz Malia says the current process for sealing CORIs "disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color." People with this viewpoint believe streamlining the criminal record-sealing process is a positive move for race reform.

Opponents do not believe that it should become easier to seal or expunge CORIs. They believe that the public has a right to know about fellow citizens' criminal histories, such as Little Macklin, a man who was arrested for armed robbery in November of 2022. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden said that Macklin "is a repeat offender with a violent history and he poses a direct threat to our businesses and our neighborhoods." People with this viewpoint argue that CORIs are connected with criminal behavior, not race, and sealing them would not do anything to help with racial equality.

The question up for debate: Is providing easy access for sealing #criminalrecords a positive move for race #reform?