There is one question that determines whether you get hired. Not the application. Not the background check. Not what the charge was or how long you were inside.
The question is this: why you, over the thirty other people I could hire who don't have a criminal record?
If you walk in without a ready answer, you will not get the job. The interviewer can see the pause the moment you don't have something prepared, and once they see it, the room shifts against you. What you need is an answer practiced enough to say with confidence and humility at the same time.
The answer that works is this:
Everybody deserves a second chance. Somebody is going to give me one. And they are going to get the best employee they ever had, because I am never, ever going to do something that sends me back to prison.
Say it clean. Say it without flinching. It makes no excuses, asks for no sympathy, and tells the employer the one thing they actually need to know: you have more reason to perform than anyone else in that stack.
Then live it. The light is on you from the first day. Use it. Work twice as hard as the person next to you. Show up earlier, stay later, and make that scrutiny your shining light, not a shadow. The person standing next to you does not have anyone watching them that closely. You do. That is the advantage if you decide to use it.
What the Law in Massachusetts Says About Your Record
Massachusetts has one of the most comprehensive criminal record protection systems for job seekers in the country. The foundation is the Criminal Offender Record Information law, known as CORI, specifically the ban the box provision under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151B, Section 4(9 1/2). It applies to all public and private employers in the Commonwealth with no size threshold.
Under the law, no employer may ask about criminal history on an initial written job application. Background checks and questions about criminal history must wait until after a conditional offer of employment has been made or after the first interview, whichever comes first. But Massachusetts goes significantly further than just removing the box from the application.
The law builds in specific lookback limits on what employers can ask about or consider:
Arrests without conviction: employers cannot ask about or consider any arrest, detention, or disposition where no conviction resulted.
Minor misdemeanor first convictions: employers cannot ask about or consider first convictions for simple assault, drunkenness, affray, speeding, minor traffic violations, or disturbing the peace.
Misdemeanor lookback limit: employers cannot ask about or consider misdemeanor convictions where the conviction or completion of incarceration occurred three or more years ago, unless the person was convicted of another offense within the preceding three years.
Felony lookback limit: employers cannot ask about or consider felony convictions where the conviction or completion of incarceration occurred ten or more years ago, unless the person was convicted of another offense within that period.
Massachusetts consumer reporting agencies are also prohibited from reporting adverse information older than seven years on background checks, which is stricter than the federal FCRA for many positions.
Employers who conduct five or more Massachusetts CORI checks per year must maintain a written CORI policy. Before questioning an applicant about their criminal history, the employer must provide the applicant with a copy of their CORI record. If a potential adverse decision is based on CORI information, the employer must notify the applicant.
What this means in practice: if your conviction is outside the lookback window -- three years for misdemeanors, ten years for felonies -- it cannot legally be used to screen you out. And if it is within the window, the employer must follow specific notice requirements before acting on it. This is among the strongest statewide frameworks for returning citizens anywhere in the country.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
Massachusetts law gives you a meaningful window before your record enters the conversation. Your answer is still what determines what happens after that.
The Massachusetts Department of Correction offers voluntary facility-based education, work training, and programming for incarcerated individuals. The Commonwealth's Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program, run by Commonwealth Corporation (CommCorp) under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, has awarded millions annually in grants since 2021. The December 2025 round was $2.2 million to eleven organizations training 389 individuals in culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and clean energy. The August 2024 round was $2.6 million to eleven organizations training 365 people. This is a sustained, annual state investment in credentialing returning citizens for specific employer partnerships.
Start with what you did with your time inside. Any education, training program, work assignment, certification, or credential is content, not a gap. If you completed programming through a CommCorp-funded partner or a Massachusetts community college program inside, name it.
Then connect it to the job. Massachusetts runs on biotech and life sciences, finance, technology, healthcare, education, construction, and hospitality. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. Until the hesitation is completely gone. Massachusetts law gives you time before your record surfaces. Your answer fills that time and wins the room before it does.
Companies in Massachusetts That Hire People with Criminal Records
Massachusetts's economy, anchored by Boston and the Greater Boston metro, with significant industry in Worcester, Springfield, New Bedford, and the Route 128 technology corridor, creates consistent demand across sectors.
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have Massachusetts operations and national fair chance commitments. Healthcare systems including Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Deaconess, and Boston Medical Center hire in support and entry-level roles. Tatte, Highgate Hospitality, and Travelers Hospitality Group are among the named employer partners for the CommCorp reentry grant programs. Construction contractors across the state face persistent labor shortages. Clean energy operations expanding across the Commonwealth hire in installation, maintenance, and operations roles.
MassHire's Bridges Returning Citizens Center in Cambridge supports job seekers recently released from incarceration with direct employment connections in the Greater Boston area.
Community Work Services (CWS) in Boston provides job training and placement in environmental services and other industries for returning citizens.
STRIVE Boston provides career development and employment connections for returning citizens.
New England Culinary Arts Training places graduates from Suffolk County House of Correction and other facilities directly into culinary positions with named Boston employers.
Staffing agencies across Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and the major Massachusetts metro areas are the most reliable first step, placing workers in manufacturing, logistics, and food service with more flexibility than direct hire.
For the full national list of companies with public fair chance commitments, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
The Tax Credit Employers Get for Hiring You
Here is the closing argument for every conversation with an employer on the fence.
There is a federal program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC. When an employer hires someone from a qualifying group, including individuals recently released from prison, the employer may receive a significant federal tax credit per qualifying hire. That is not charity. It is a business incentive the federal government created specifically to make hiring returning citizens financially advantageous.
You are not asking anyone to take a risk on you. You are telling them your hire comes with a tax benefit attached that none of the other thirty applicants can offer. Say it at the end of the interview, after you have made your case: I qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Hiring me may put money back in your business. And I will give you the best work you have ever gotten from a new hire, because I have too much to lose to give you anything less.
MassHire career centers statewide coordinate WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access for employers.
Where to Get Help in Massachusetts
MassHire career centers, operated through the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, provide job search assistance, resume help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access statewide. The Bridges Returning Citizens Center, operated by MassHire in Cambridge, specifically serves recently released individuals in Greater Boston. Find your nearest MassHire center at mass.gov/masshire.
Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) offers voluntary facility-based education, work training, and general programs for incarcerated individuals. Access information at mass.gov/doc.
Commonwealth Corporation (CommCorp) administers the Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program, annually awarding millions in grants to organizations that train returning citizens for employment in culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and clean energy. Find current grantee organizations at commcorp.org.
New England Culinary Arts Training in Boston partners with correctional facilities and places graduates into culinary roles with Boston-area employers.
Community Work Services (CWS) in Boston provides job training and placement in environmental services and other industries.
STRIVE Boston provides career development and employment connections for returning citizens.
St. Francis House (39 Boylston St, Boston, 617-542-4211) operates the Moving Ahead Program (MAP), a 14-week job and life skills training program for individuals who have experienced incarceration.
Massachusetts Legal Aid organizations and Volunteer Lawyers Project provide free assistance with CORI sealing and expungement petitions. The Work Place in Boston (29 Winter St, 617-737-0093) offers CORI assistance during drop-in hours.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through MassHire, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in Massachusetts ask about my record?
Under Massachusetts CORI law (MGL Ch. 151B §4(9½)), no employer may ask about criminal history on an initial written application. Criminal history questions and background checks must wait until after a conditional offer or the first interview. Employers also cannot ask about arrests without conviction, certain minor misdemeanor first convictions, misdemeanor convictions more than three years old, or felony convictions more than ten years old. Before questioning you about your CORI, the employer must provide you a copy of your record.
What is the Massachusetts CORI ban the box law?
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151B, Section 4(9½) applies to all public and private employers with no size threshold. It prohibits criminal history questions on initial written applications and delays inquiry until after a conditional offer or first interview. It builds in specific lookback limits: no questions about arrests without conviction; no questions about misdemeanor convictions more than three years old; no questions about felony convictions more than ten years old. Employers who conduct five or more CORI checks per year must maintain a written CORI policy and provide applicants a copy of their record before asking questions about it.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in Massachusetts?
Specific licensed fields in healthcare with direct patient care, childcare, education, and law enforcement have statutory background check requirements for certain offense types. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. For most private sector employment, Massachusetts's ten-year felony lookback means that convictions older than ten years generally cannot be used against you. For recent convictions within the window, the employer must still follow the CORI notice and process requirements before taking adverse action.
How do I explain my record in a job interview?
Do not pause. Come in with the answer ready: everybody deserves a second chance, somebody is going to give you one, and they are going to get the best employee they ever had because you are never going back. Massachusetts law means you have had at least one interview or have a conditional offer before your record even comes up. Use that time to establish your qualifications. If your conviction is outside the three-year misdemeanor or ten-year felony lookback, it cannot legally be raised at all. Then close by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. End strong.
What is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC, is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire workers from qualifying groups, including people recently released from prison. The credit can be significant per qualifying hire based on wages and hours worked in the first year. It is administered through the IRS and the Department of Labor. MassHire career centers coordinate certification for employers statewide. It is a real financial incentive, and you should mention it at the end of every interview.
Do employers get a tax credit for hiring ex-felons?
Yes. Under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, employers who hire qualifying returning citizens may receive a meaningful federal tax credit. Bring this up at the end of your interview as a closing argument. Your hire comes with a tax benefit the other applicants cannot offer. Ask your MassHire career center counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What programs help returning citizens find work in MA?
MassHire career centers statewide offer job search help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access; Bridges Returning Citizens Center in Cambridge serves recently released individuals. CommCorp administers the Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program, awarding millions annually to train returning citizens in culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and clean energy. New England Culinary Arts Training, Community Work Services, and STRIVE Boston provide industry-focused training and placement. St. Francis House's MAP program provides 14-week job and life skills training. Massachusetts Legal Aid provides free CORI sealing assistance.
Can I get my CORI sealed or expunged in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts allows sealing of eligible records after waiting periods: three years for misdemeanors and seven years for felonies from the date of conviction or release. Sealed records do not appear on most background checks. Expungement is available for certain offenses under more limited circumstances. The Work Place in Boston (29 Winter St, 617-737-0093) offers CORI assistance during drop-in hours on Fridays. Massachusetts Legal Aid organizations and the Volunteer Lawyers Project provide free guidance on eligibility and the petition process.
What companies in Massachusetts hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have Massachusetts operations and national fair chance commitments. Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Deaconess, and Boston Medical Center hire in support and entry-level roles. Tatte, Highgate Hospitality, and Travelers Hospitality Group are named employer partners for CommCorp reentry programs. Construction and clean energy contractors statewide face consistent demand. MassHire's Bridges Returning Citizens Center provides direct employer connections. Community Work Services and STRIVE Boston connect returning citizens to employer networks. Staffing agencies across the Greater Boston metro and beyond are the most accessible first step. For the full national list, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
How do I get hired if I have a long gap in my work history?
Name what you did inside and present it as work with context. Massachusetts DOC education and work programs, CommCorp-funded training credentials, and any programming completed inside are all content. Massachusetts's lookback limits mean that if your conviction is outside the three-year misdemeanor or ten-year felony window, it may not appear on your background check at all. If it qualifies, sealing your CORI removes it from most background checks entirely. Staffing agencies are the fastest path back into regular employment. Build ninety days of solid performance anywhere and that recent record becomes what employers see instead of the gap. ---