The number of ways that CORI is broken is astounding. Others can speak to the specifics better than I can, but suffice it to say that when over a million CORI requests are submitted every year, and tens of thousands are being denied employment and housing, we are not solving problems, we are creating them.
I am surprised this issue hasn’t come up in any substantial way in the race so far. I guess it goes back to the issue of whether this is a Senatorial issue or not. But to me, someone who would support the current CORI system seems like someone who would also support the Patriot Act, President Bush’s wiretapping, and all of the other forms of “tough on crime” legislation that does damage to our nation’s civil rights, and which Senators do have a say on.
Perhaps someone out there knows more about AG Coakley’s stand, and can help me better understand her position.
if you had found and linked to, or even better embedded, the videos that you say are out there. You are claiming that Coakley has stated “a stunning falsehood” about the CORI system. That’s a serious charge, yet the post contains no backup for it. Nor does it have any information about what the true state of CORI is right now.
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p>You may well be right about everything you say. But IMHO it is a blogger’s obligation to back up assertions like these so that readers aren’t forced to spend time Googling what should have been made clear in the post itself. This would be potential front-page material if it contained backup; as it is, I wouldn’t even recommend it. If you edit the post to add in the materials, I’ll reconsider.
I hope I fixed what was broken. I’m not much of a blogger, obviously.
You are a fine blogger — you have a good track record here at BMG.
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p>However, as I noted below, that video doesn’t convince me of anything. And the Bay State Banner link is (1) an editorial, and (2) talks about CORI only in a general way; the focus is clearly on Question 2 on the 2008 ballot.
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p>I still don’t have a clear sense of exactly what Martha Coakley thinks about CORI, nor do I know what restrictions exist on obtaining CORI information. I think — but I am not sure — that the CORI database is not open to everyone; that you have to show some kind of need for access to what’s in there. Really nailing that down would be very helpful.
I’m not a CORI expert. I would imagine there is someone who knows a hell of a lot more about CORI than me who can link to resources I know nothing about.
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p>I have had dozens of conversations with CORI reform experts who have shown me information, but nothing I can link to. I hope one of them reads this and can help.
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p>Frankly, I posted because I’m hoping to learn more about this issue and where Coakley stands. I’ve heard some things that bother me, and I’d like more information. I hope someone has insights.
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p>As for my having a good track record, clearly you guys need to raise the bar. But thanks.
MA Attorney General Martha “Uh Uh” Coakley on CORI Reform
This is a terrible video, featuring obviously manipulative editing. I gave up two minutes in, having learned absolutely nothing about Martha Coakley’s position. You’ll have to do better than that.
the filmmaker interjects and editorializes constantly. you can judge for yourself whether you agree with him. If I knew where to find the original interview I’d post it.
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p>That said, if you give it more that 2 minutes, you can judge for yourself whether Coakley, in her answers to Braude, is misrepresenting, minimizing or dissembling in order to defend a crappy CORI system that attaches the stench of criminal accusation – whether it be substance use, rape or pedophilia – to people acquitted of the crime for a long period of time which has an undue and unfair effect on their lives. Coakley minimizes and defends the CORI laws without respite.
Prosecutors are generally too knee-jerk lock-em-up crimefighters to make reliably progressive legislators. They are not good at connecting crime and punishment to other social issues, which is necessary if you are going to be seriously involved in policy.
Do you have any evidence comparing voting records of legislators who were prosecutors vs. non-prosecutors? You might be right, but I suspect you are just expressing a stereotype.
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p>Wasn’t Ted Kennedy a prosecutor?
But I looked it up and Kennedy was ADA for about a year 61-62. Similarly, John Kerry was in the DA’s office from 76-79. I’m thinking these are career politicians who used the DA’s office as a stepping-stone.
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p>Martha is 56 and has been a prosecutor for 23 years. This is to her credit – she’s great at what she does and has risen to the top by merit. What she’s after now is a late-in-life career change. She’s arguing that all she needs to be a good legislator are the skills and attitudes she has developed as a prosecutor. I don’t think some of those attitudes are what progressives want in the senate.
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p>she’d get my vote if she were running for the state Senate, otherwise I agree completely.
…is how little there is available on Coakley’s position on CORI reform. This is one of the most important criminal justice issues our state is facing, at least in urban areas. It surprises me that she hasn’t been called on to say more. I am still curious to learn more.
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p>And her being a prosecutor is not enough for me to give her a pass if she has truly opposed reform. She should have an intimiate understanding of what the current CORI system is doing to our state. I would imagine she has seen her share of repeat offenders who could have gone straight if only they’d been able to find housing, a job, an education…
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p>Though I expect more info from her because she’s our state’s top law enforcement officer, frankly I’d like to hear from all the democrats on this issue.
As an early Coakley critic I’ve been amused at the attempts to attack her. All I’ve seen are little jabs about once supporting a narrow provision for the death penalty, or a poor showing in front of SCOTUS. And today we have two more light jabs–one from Cap about an appeal Coakley signed off on the case involving the death penalty (an issue that Cap is not lilly white on) and now this CORI thing.
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p>I’m know political genius (if I where I’d get paid lots of money) but I know enough to understand that when someone has a 20 plus point lead, you need to take them down with a haymaker of a punch. If you can’t, all the jabs in the world will not take Coakley down in the next month.
Cap knows he won’t win. He is positioning himself as establishment candidate to run for Kerry’s seat if he gets an appointment.
my post is motivated to help Capuano? You’re right, if that was my motivation here, it was a pretty weak attempt on my part. Luckily for me that was not the point.