This paper is intended to be a useful and understandable -- but abbreviated and short -- explanation of the law, structure, policies and practices relating to criminal records in Massachusetts. The main statute uses the term "criminal offender record information," which most people refer to by its acronym, "CORI."^[1]

We have written the paper pretty much for the benefit, and from the point of view, of a person who has a criminal record (which we sometimes refer to as a "CORI subject") or for the benefit of people who are trying to help CORI subjects cope with having CORI. We assume that most of the readers will not be lawyers. But we have put legal citations in footnotes, which might prove to be helpful to lawyers and other legal advocates. If you don't like footnotes, just don't read them!

This continues to be a work in progress. If any reader has one or more suggestions on how it could be improved, please tell us.

^[1] Certain other statutes do not use the term "criminal offender record information" but are relevant to the subject matter of this paper and may be discussed.

Copyright 2009 by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.  All rights reserved.