YW Boston Signs on in Support of Expungement Bill
Endorses legislation as part of advocacy work in criminal justice reform
June 20, 2017 – YW Boston joins more than 50 organizations in support of the Expungement Bill, filed by Massachusetts State Senator Karen Spilka and Reps. Kay Khan and Carolyn Dykema for the 2017-18 legislative session. These bills, S. 944 and H. 2309, are supported by advocacy coalition groups Citizens for Juvenile Justice and Teens Leading The Way and many community organizations across the state such as Roca, Inc. and Black and Pink.
The Expungement Bill, officially titled “An Act Relative to Sealing of Juvenile Records and Expungement of Court Records,” would improve the sealing process of juvenile records, shortening the three year waiting period to one year, and allow for expungement of juvenile records sealed for at least three years. Many states across the nation who have minimized barriers to the sealing and expungement of juvenile records have seen significant reduced recidivism rates.
YW Boston, as an organization that has several flagship youth-serving programs, signed on as an official supporter of the bill, calling on state representatives to pass it in order to improve how Massachusetts treats young people who interact with the courts and reduce barriers to their long-term personal success. The organization backs the bill due to the fact that it aims to address extreme racial disparities that are endemic in the juvenile justice system. In 2013, black youth were 8 times more likely to be arrested than white youth in Massachusetts, many for nonviolent offenses. The stigma of a criminal record has a heavier impact on youth of color. Research shows that involvement with the juvenile justice system is linked to limiting a young person’s ability to obtain future employment, attend college, obtain housing and could serve as an enhancement offense if the youth is later convicted as an adult.
YW Boston officials stated that the Expungement Bill offers youth a second chance, and is an important step for our state in correcting a juvenile justice system that is systemically hyper-punitive and discriminatory, especially against youth of color.
Reference
http://www.teensleadingtheway.org/
https://www.utec-lowell.org/uploads/pressrelease_expungement_7.21.16.pdf
Rovner, J. (2016). Racial Disparities in Youth Commitments and Arrests (Policy brief 1-16). Retrieved from http://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Racial-Disparities-in-Youth-Commitments-and-Arrests.pdf#page=10
Daniel Litwok, “Have You Ever Been Convicted of a Crime? The Effects of Juvenile Expungement on Crime, Educational, and Labor Market Outcomes”. Retrieved from http://econ.msu.edu/seminars/docs/Expungement%20112014.pdf
###
About YW Boston
YW Boston has been a leader in building a better Boston for all since 1866, when it was founded as the first YWCA in the nation. Today, YW Boston serves over 3,000 Bostonians with programs that educate + empower people across racial, gender, class, and organizational lines. YW Boston is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
Press Contact
Emily Boardman
eboardman@ywboston.org
617-585-5414