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BOSTON - Friday, April 29, 2022 - In
commemoration of National Reentry Week, today Mayor Michelle Wu shared her
commitment to enhancing opportunities for returning citizens through a
proposed $1.38 million Fiscal Year 2023 operating budget investment into the
Office of Returning Citizens. This investment increases the office’s total
FY23 operating budget to $1.88 million, which will expand the office’s
capacity for additional staff, case management, and other wraparound
support services. Additionally, Mayor Wu announced today that Project
Opportunity will
be hosting information sessions and a job fair series to foster
opportunities for people returning to the City after release from state,
federal, and county facilities.
“The work of the Office of Returning
Citizens is a crucial part of the City’s efforts to address the inequitable
harms of incarceration and its impacts on communities of color,” said Mayor
Michelle Wu. “This proposed increased investment represents a step
towards building strong pathways towards ensuring that our returning
citizens are coming into community with the supports and stability they
need to grow and thrive.”
“The Office of Returning Citizens serves as
an important reminder of the City’s commitment to promote public safety,
end homelessness, and advance racial equity” said Dr. Rufus Faulk,
Director of the Mayor’s Office for Public Safety. “We are beyond
grateful for Mayor Wu’s leadership and proposed increased investment that
will allow us to grow the office and meet the urgent needs of this
community.”
The Office of Returning Citizens helps the
more than 3,000 people that return to Boston each year from federal, state,
and county prisons and jails take healthy steps in their lives through a
variety of services. These services include in-person case management with
program and intake coordinators, peer mentorships, and warm referrals to
key programs and services, including transitional housing, employment,
healthcare, education, and legal services. Between the Office’s inception
in 2017 and today, the number of yearly clients served by the Office has
increased by more than 700%.
Mayor Wu’s historic investment in the Office
of Returning Citizens reflects her belief that every resident can reach
their full potential regardless of their background, and that the City must
play a crucial role in removing barriers to opportunity for residents of
Boston. Mayor Wu proposed this investment as part of her proposed
Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which requires approval by the Boston City Council.
“This investment is just the beginning of
the work we must do to make sure our city addresses the policy harm that
has led to mass incarceration. We must be in deep community partnership
with organizations doing the work on the ground to undo past harm and to
remove barriers that make re-entry difficult,” said City Councilor
Ruthzee Louijeune. “I am looking forward to thinking intentionally
about how we use city resources for community investments that can make the
greatest impact to prevent harm.”
"I applaud Mayor Wu for her commitment
to supporting returning citizens,” said City Councilor Brian
Worrell. “This landmark funding will play an important role as we work
to support our fellow Bostonians and break cycles of incarceration."
Building on the City’s work to support
individuals with previous criminal justice involvement, Project Opportunity
is a collaborative City initiative led by the City’s Office of
Workforce Development (OWD), the Mayor’s Office
of Black Male Advancement, PowerCorpsBOS, and SOAR Boston. The program aims to create
equitable opportunities for Boston residents with CORIs.
“Boston is truly a city of second chances,”
said Bethany Serota, OWD Deputy Director of Workforce Equity &
Inclusion. “In our third year of Project Opportunity, we continue to
expand on that vision by hosting CORI sealing and expungement clinics,
facilitating internal and external trainings to dispel myths around CORI,
hosting community CORI-friendly job fairs and soft skills workshops, and
working to create more CORI-friendly opportunities and career tracks to
support this vital segment of our workforce.”
In celebration of Reentry Week, Project
Opportunity is hosting CORI information sessions and a job fair series to
increase awareness of reentry programs and offer direct supports to finding
employment opportunities.
Information Session: CORI
Sealing/Expungement Clinics
Residents are invited to attend a virtual
information session on Tuesday, May 3, 6-7 p.m. to learn about free CORI
sealing and expungement clinics, how these clinics operate, and which
records are eligible to be sealed or expunged. Interested residents will be
invited to apply to attend upcoming virtual clinics which pair participants
with volunteer lawyers, provided by Lawyers Clearinghouse, who can review
an individual’s legal options for sealing or expunging a CORI. If a
participant’s record is found to be eligible for sealing or expungement,
the lawyers will provide full legal representation throughout the process.
Any costs for legal filings will be covered.
This event is free and open to the
public. Register here.
Job Fair Series
In partnership with MassHire Downtown Boston
Career Center, Project Opportunity is hosting a virtual job fair series to
help justice-involved individuals and other job-seekers access job
openings, job search skills, educational opportunities, and other
resources. The events will be held every Wednesday evening in May:
· Resume Basics, Wednesday, May 4th, 5-6:30
p.m.
· Interview Basics, Wednesday, May 11th,
5-6:30 p.m.
· Resource Fair, Wednesday, May 18th, 5-7 p.m.
· Job Fair, Wednesday, May 25th, 5-7 p.m.
The series is free and open to the
public. Learn more and
register for events here.
Additionally, Project Opportunity will host
a virtual panel, The CORI Effect: Racial Disparities & Real Solutions,
on Tuesday, May 24, 6-7:30 p.m. to explore racial inequities in the
criminal justice system and available resources to mitigate their impacts.
This panel is free and open to the public. Register here.
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