The CORI Project at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute provides legal assistance to low-income Massachusetts residents who face civil legal barriers in employment, housing and other services due to their criminal records. Currently, the state maintains criminal records for over 2.8 million individuals. A criminal record (or CORI, which stands for Criminal Offender Record Information) can make jobs, housing, loans, and even volunteer work out of reach for ex-offenders. Even a record with only 'not guilty' findings can create barriers to jobs and benefits. The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute is a non-profit legal services organization that acts as the statewide legal services support center for Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a statewide nonprofit poverty law and policy center. Its mission is to advance economic, racial and social justice through legal action, policy advocacy, coalition building, and community outreach. Read more on our website MLRI.org.
We operate several websites that help low income people and their legal advocates resolve civil (non-criminal) legal issues in Massachusetts.
Mass Legal Help (MassLegalHelp.org) is a civil legal information website for Massachusetts residents. We publish legal information and produce self-help materials created by Massachusetts civil legal aid programs for clients, people who cannot afford a lawyer, and other people who have problems and do not know they have legal rights.
Mass Legal Services (MassLegalServices.org) is the comprehensive online resources for poverty law advocates in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder (MassLRF.org) gives Massachusetts residents contact information for legal aid programs, nonprofits, government agencies and court programs that may be able to help with civil legal issues for free or at low cost.
