An Act to ensure access to medical parole

This bill amends Massachusetts law to expand access to medical parole for incarcerated individuals by updating the definitions of permanent incapacitation and terminal illness. It requires correctional facilities to consider parole requests from prisoners, attorneys, family members, or medical providers, with a strict timeline for reviewing these petitions. The legislation also mandates that the Department of Correction identify cognitively incapacitated prisoners through annual standardized assessments and allows them to choose a surrogate decision-maker to advocate on their behalf. Additionally, the bill ensures that risk assessments for violent recidivism account for a prisoner's medical condition and considers whether community-based treatment could reduce that risk.