POLICY:  Criminal Offender Record Information  (CORI)       

Applies to:  All employees.  Any volunteers who may, at any time, have supervision of children under the age of 18, as required by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) and MGL c.6, section 172

CORI Screening:

A) A CORI Policy is required by law for any entity which may submit more than 5 requests for CORI investigations per year.

B) CORI checks will be conducted as determined by law. 

C) All prospective employees, volunteers, and key holders as defined above will be required to complete a CORI Acknowledgement Form.  They will be given at least 72 hours notice before a CORI investigation is performed. 

D) CORI information is confidential; access is strictly limited to the Safety Officer(s) and the Pastor.  All CORI forms and reports will be kept on Church property in a separate, locked and secure location. Any electronic copies must be password protected and encrypted.

E) An informed review of a criminal record requires adequate training. Accordingly, the Safety Officer(s) will be thoroughly familiar with the educational and training materials made available by DCJIS.

F) Unless otherwise provided by law, a criminal record will not automatically disqualify an individual.

G) If a criminal record report is received from DCJIS, the Safety Officer(s) will closely compare the report with the information on the CORI request form, as well as any other identifying information provided by the individual, to ensure the record relates to the individual.

Determining Suitability:

A) The Safety Officer(s) and/or the Pastor shall determine an individual's suitability to serve. Unless otherwise provided by law, factors considered in determining suitability may include, but are not limited to:

    1) Relevance of the record to the position sought;

    2) The nature of the work to be performed;

    3) Time since the conviction;

    4) Age of the candidate at the time of the offense;

    5) Seriousness and specific circumstances of the offense;

    6) The number of offenses;

    7) Whether the individual has pending charges;

    8) Any relevant evidence of rehabilitation or lack thereof; and

    9) Any other relevant information, including information submitted by the individual or requested by the hiring authority

B) If the CORI report received does not exactly match the identification information provided by the individual, the Safety Officer(s) and/or the Pastor will make a determination of suitability based on a comparison of the CORI report and other pertinent documents or criteria provided by the individual.

Adverse Decisions Based on CORI:

A) If an adverse decision is made based on the results of the CORI, the individual will be notified immediately. The individual shall be provided with a copy of their criminal record and this CORI policy, advised of the part(s) of the record that make the individual unsuitable for the position, and given an opportunity to dispute the accuracy and relevance of the CORI.

B) Individuals challenging the accuracy of their CORI shall have the opportunity to dispute it; a copy of the DCJIS Information Concerning the Process in Correcting a Criminal Record will be provided. 

Related Policies:

Safe Church, Amendments to Policies