ePrivacy and GPDR Cookie Consent by TermsFeed Generator

Project Opportunity

  • 9
  • 5  min to read
Project Opportunity

Boston, USA
About the city. The state’s June total unemployment rate is down one-tenth of a percentage point at 4.9 per cent, following a revision to the May unemployment rate of 5.0 per cent. The data refers to the year 2021.

Goal

Project Opportunity is a pilot initiative that aims to create equitable opportunities for Boston residents with CORIs (criminal records). The initiative helps residents seal, expunge, and manage their CORIs to gain access to better jobs, housing, and educational opportunities.

Implementation period. The pilot project began in 2020.

Fact

New pathways to sealing and expunging CORIs have opened due to a series of Massachusetts legislative reforms. As of 2018, most felony cases can be sealed after seven years, and most misdemeanours after three. Additionally, cannabis charges can now be expunged from one’s record.

Solutions

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a new pilot initiative, Project Opportunity, on July 14, 2020. The program:

  • connects residents with free legal consultation for sealing or expunging records,
  • convenes panel discussions to address challenges and solutions for residents with CORIs,
  • connects residents with key resources for well-being,
  • trains City departments to meet the needs of residents with CORIs.

The feature of Project Opportunity is the sealing and expungement of CORIs, which severely limit employment opportunities and disproportionately affect communities of colour. For example, black men with a criminal record are less likely than white men with a criminal record to receive a callback or job offer. This barrier takes a toll on both the individual and society: Stable employment has been found to be one of the most significant factors in preventing a person’s relapse into criminal behaviour.

The entire process is free. Project Opportunity covers the cost for the lawyer to access CORI, and if a record can be sealed or expunged, the lawyer continues to provide full representation. This means specialists handle all necessary hearings, petitions, or other paperwork to resolve cases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR0xZNUi0b8

Team

Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety, Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

Timeline

In 2017, Mayor Walsh launched the City’s Office of Returning Citizens as part of the Office of Public Safety to support the nearly 3,000 individuals who return to Boston after being released from state, federal and county facilities each year, as well as others who were previously incarcerated. Mayor Walsh created the Office of Public Safety in 2014 with the mandate of establishing cross-agency and cabinet coordination to tackle the challenging and complex problems in our neighbourhoods that lead to and perpetuate violence.

If you notice an error or inaccuracy in our editorials, please email [email protected] so we can look into it.