An Act restoring the furlough program for incarcerated persons

HD 1686 restores a furlough program for incarcerated individuals in Massachusetts, allowing temporary releases from state correctional facilities for specific, time-limited purposes. The program permits up to 14 days of absence per year (with no more than 7 days at one time) for reasons such as attending a relative's funeral, visiting a critically ill family member, accessing medical care, or preparing for release through housing or job searches. Most incarcerated people are eligible, but those serving life sentences or convicted of certain violent offenses require approval from facility leadership and the commissioner. The correctional facility covers all costs, and the time away counts toward the individual's sentence, maintaining custody during the furlough.