News  State Rep. Chynah Tyler and Prophetic Resistance visit Probation's Records Unit to learn more about the sealing process

In the photo, left to right, are Prophetic Resistance members Minister Alan Tanner of St. Luke's AME Church, Attorney Aderonke Lipede, Commissioner Edward Dolan, State Representative Chynah Tyler, Robert Wayne of Lawson Barbershop, and Prophetic Resistance director Danielle Williams.

Prophetic Resistance is a social justice, faith-based group whose membership consists of clergy and members of several Boston congregations. The visitors included State Rep. Tyler, Attorney Aderonke Lipede, Minister Alan Tanner, and Prophetic Resistance Director Danielle Williams.

General Counsel Nina Pomponio and Records Unit Director Sean Casey conducted the tour and discussion of the sealing and expungement processes. During the visit, MPS employees Willie English and Annmarie Palermo, both administrative coordinators, and Sandrine Riberio, CARI Coordinator, spoke about their work and its importance to the courts and the community to modernize this “important access to justice program.” In addition to sealings and expungements, the unit also responds to court requests. The Unit, located in the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, processes sealings, expungements, and addresses identity management matters.

"We are on a mission to automatically expunge the records of thousands of constituents who served their time and are owed a second chance. Investing in the updating of the Mass-courts system is an essential launching pad to making this happen," said State Rep. Tyler. "However, this process is very intricate and this initiative will take a collaborative effort. With that, I would like to thank Commissioner Dolan for being willing to collaborate with us so that we may better solve the hardships in the process of sealing records."

Attorney Lipede, a Prophetic Resistance member, also reflected on the group’s visit and how impressed they were with the unit’s work as well as hearing directly from MPS employees. Ms. Lipede noted the compassion and strong work ethic of the employees.

“We were really impressed with how they do so much with so little. The numbers they have delivered in CORI sealings are amazing. A lot of people don’t understand the time and research that goes into it. Being there, we understood it a lot more,” Ms. Lipede said.

She added, “We were actually touched by Commissioner Dolan when he told us that the mission of the Probation Service is not to punish people who are on probation. It is designed to help them get through this process. That’s so refreshing to hear from somebody who has been in that type of service for so long and he still has a fresh and empathetic understanding of his job.”

“It really meant a lot to us to have Rep. Tyler think highly enough of us to bring others to see the work we do. At the end of the visit, Director Williams extended her heartfelt thanks to the unit and probation as a whole,” said Nina Pomponio, General Counsel.

Prophetic Resistance “prides itself in working outside of the four walls of the church,” Ms. Lipede said. The group first became involved with CORI sealing in 2018 when they learned of the “impact it was having on people and the barrier it created to jobs and housing,” she said.