The Massachusetts Probation Service recently reduced wait times for sealing records from 90 days maximum to under 30 days to help remove barriers for individuals seeking housing or employment.

Some cases will now be processed in one to three days.

Probation Commissioner Pamerson O. Ifill, who is also the first Black commissioner in state history, talked with the Banner about the new policy. Criminal justice reform, he said, has continually focused on creating stronger pathways for formerly incarcerated people.

The Massachusetts Probation Service has added resources to improve systems, such as dedicating a team of 12 people to focus on this work, which reduces wait times to within two to three days of receiving an individual’s petition.

Ifill explained that those with unsealed felonies or misdemeanors face barriers to bettering themselves, whether accessing higher education or looking for work.

“If you’re a college student, and at a young age, you committed an offense — that’s on your record. That might be a barrier to qualifying for federal financial aid.

If you’re a person who’s seeking housing or seeking employment, employers are about to offer you a position, then they’ll seek permission to run your CORI [Criminal Offender Record Information],” he said. “So, we provide relief as long as that offense is sealable.”

There are exceptions for serious crimes, however. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reports, for example, that those convicted of sexual offenses are ineligible for sealing for the 15 years following their disposition. The Weekly also reports that anyone classified as a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender shall not be eligible for sealing.

Ifill said the Probation Service is looking to give people who qualify for this policy another chance.

“I’ve said this, and I continue to say, probation is in the second-chance business. We’re trying to help people who previously have made mistakes and who have demonstrated over time that’s not who they are. We don’t want to judge them, sometimes, on the worst day of a decision that they may have made,” he said.

Ultimately, updates in the sealing policies will remove barriers for Massachusetts residents who demonstrate consistently that they are not reoffending. Formerly incarcerated people are almost 10 times as likely to experience homelessness than the general public, according to a 2024 report prepared for Massachusetts’ reentry steering committee.

Ifill said the Probation Service works to provide relief and spaces sometimes where people don’t feel or think they have hope. The policy aligns with the values of criminal justice reform: empathy and understanding and is dedicated to services and support for people not to violate conditions of probation.

“That’s what empathy is about: how can we put ourselves into the shoes of people who are struggling, having difficult experiences, including those on probation, and then try to work with them to move on, not only better understand who they are… but how we can help them make the right decisions and improve their lives and outcomes,” he said.

For more information on this process, community members can contact the Office of the Commissioner of Probation at 617-727-5300. The office is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.