Jo has lived and worked in western Massachusetts since the late 1990s, arriving fresh out of New York City’s Hunter College School of Social Work where she focused on homelessness policy, prison reform, and earned an MSW.
People struggling with substance use disorder are often charged with drug-related crimes. These charges remain as criminal records for years, effectively preventing access to stable housing, employment, and sadly, increasing recidivism rates. My bill (S.957, An Act empowering individuals affected by substance abuse to rebuild their lives) allows people with certain drug charges to automatically seal their record, after a shorter waiting period than currently provided, for both felonies and misdemeanors. It also allows people to petition to expunge certain drug charges from their record after a shorter waiting period and makes expungement the default outcome for sealing those charges.