On June 5th, youth organizers from across Massachusetts converged on the State House in Boston for a public hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. The organizers have been working for years to pass a law that would allow for the expungement of juvenile records. Below is the verbal testimony given by Jefferson Alvarez, a youth organizer from UTEC.

On June 5th, youth organizers from across Massachusetts converged on the State House in Boston for a public hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. The organizers have been working for years to pass a law that would allow for the expungement of juvenile records. Below is the verbal testimony given by Jefferson Alvarez, a youth organizer from UTEC.

“Good afternoon. My name is Jefferson Alvarez, and I’m 21 years old and live in Lawrence. I’m from an organization named UTEC and I’m here on behalf of Teens Leading The Way. I’m here to tell my story, so thank you all for listening to me. Before I begin, I want you all to know that there are many peers behind me that I work with from all around Massachusetts who have similar stories to mine, and it’s an honor to speak on their behalf as well.

“Seven years ago, freshman year of high school, I got into a fight. It was the middle of winter, it was cold out, and I saw another student looking at me funny. I approached the student and we exchanged words. Before a punch was thrown, school security guards pulled us apart and called the police. The police arrived, handcuffed me, and brought me outside to a police car. I felt like a criminal and like I had done something beyond terrible. The police ended up bringing me home, and I was then summoned to court. At court, the judge told me to stay away from the victim, and I was removed from the high school and put into an alternative school."

Read the source article at Lowellsun.com Blogs