Foes of arrest notification gather

As music blared and people lined up for barbecue atop a hilly section of Malcolm X Park in Roxbury yesterday, Darrin Howell talked about how his life had changed three years ago when he was arrested for firearms possession and domestic violence.

``I took risks with my freedom and I ended up paying for it," said Howell, 24, who spent a year in jail for those offenses.

``Before I went in, I worked in administrative offices, doing data entry," Howell said, ``but after I got out, I haven't been able to find that type of work. When they check my background now and this comes up, they don't want anything to do with me."

Howell was one of about 100 people who showed up for a CORI Justice and Peace Day event.

The event is organized by the Boston Workers Alliance, which is calling for reform of the Criminal Offender Record Information system. CORI, as it is known, is a computerized database of criminal records that public housing departments, schools, hotels, restaurants, and other companies can tap into to evaluate a potential employee or check the history of an existing employee.

The system was created in 1972 to improve the flow of information within the criminal justice system, and now more than 10,000 organizations are certified for access to the database. Proponents of the system say it is a valuable tool in the hiring process and to protect the vunerable. But Horace Small , a leader of the Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI, says the system denies former offenders a second chance.

``In Massachusetts, CORI is a life sentence because it follows you around and prevents you from getting a job or a house even when you've turned your life around," Small said.

Small was with Benjamin F. Thompson, the executive director of Boston Strive , a non profit job placement and training program.

Small and Thompson disagreed with current CORI regulations that misdemeanor violations can be sealed only after 10 years and felonies after 15 years. ``They should be expunged, not just sealed," Thompson said.

``But now, we're allowing young black men to use CORI as an excuse to not do anything, to just sit back and accept their situation," he said. But I want them to know that they can take control of their lives, that they don't have to be locked out."

City Councilman Chuck Turner , a longtime proponent of CORI reform, said the Democratic nominee for governor, Deval L. Patrick, is more likely to help the reform cause than his opponent, Kerry Healey, a Republican. ``I don't think we can expect much change under Healy," said Turner. ``I can't say any specifics, but if Deval became governor, he would make it a fair and just policy."