Criminal Justice (Corrections) in Massachusetts

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 472: An Act limiting the use of prison labor

This bill prohibits Massachusetts correctional facilities from transferring inmates outside the state for the purpose of engaging in labor. It directly affects all state prisons, county jails, and correctional facilities within Massachusetts, preventing administrators from moving inmates out of state for work. The key provision explicitly bans such transfers by stating no inmate may be moved outside Massachusetts to perform labor. This is a direct policy change limiting the use of prison labor beyond state borders.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1686: 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.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1690: An Act for fair compensation for erroneous felony conviction

This bill establishes a minimum $800,000 compensation standard for individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies and incarcerated. It requires courts to calculate damages based on lost income, incarceration conditions, and other factors, while also allowing for state college tuition waivers and necessary health services. Compensation must be paid as a lump sum or fixed-amount annuity with time limits, and the state cannot pay interest or punitive damages. The law directly affects people exonerated after wrongful felony convictions in Massachusetts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 648: An Act relative to preventing educator sexual misconduct and abuse of children and youth

This bill creates new civil and criminal penalties for educators and contractors who engage in sexual relations with certain minors while in a position of authority. It directly affects school staff, coaches, counselors, and similar workers in public/private schools or child-serving agencies (like DYS, DCF, or mental health programs). Under the law, anyone over 21 in these roles who has sexual relations with a minor under 19 without a high school diploma/GED (or under 22 with special needs without one) faces criminal charges (up to 5 years in prison, $10,000 fine, sex offender registration) and potential license revocation. The bill also establishes a civil cause of action for victims, deeming minors in these categories legally incapable of consent.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 886: An Act relative to compensation for victims of wrongful conviction

This bill creates a new compensation program for individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies in Massachusetts, directly affecting those who served at least one year in prison for a conviction later overturned or pardoned with a statement of reasonable innocence. It establishes a dedicated division within the Attorney General's office to process claims, requiring applicants to submit a sworn statement of innocence, proof of incarceration, and court documents showing conviction reversal or pardon. The division must review claims within 30 days, issue immediate payments if eligibility is clear, or schedule a hearing within 60 days if additional documentation is needed. Eligibility requires the conviction to be for a felony (not resolved by a guilty plea), the individual to have served prison time, and either a governor's pardon with innocence language or a court-ordered reversal with no subsequent felony charges.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jul 21, 2025

S 1709: An Act to save lives by distributing narcan to individuals at risk for an overdose

By Mr. Keenan, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1709) of John F. Keenan, James B. Eldridge and Patricia D. Jehlen for legislation to distribute Narcan to a detainee or prisoner at risk for an overdose upon discharge from a correctional facility. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 531: An Act relative to prison reform

HD 531 requires Massachusetts correctional facilities to partner with public colleges to create educational programs, enabling prisoners with a high school diploma to earn college credits toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. It mandates the Department of Correction to develop new food standards within six months, including federal nutrition guidelines, 20-minute seated meal times, access to drinking water, and prohibitions on food-related punishments. The bill also establishes two commissions - one to study health care in prisons and another to examine mental health impacts of disciplinary confinement - with reports due by January 2022. These changes directly affect prisoners, correctional facilities, and food service providers across Massachusetts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2756: An Act establishing reasonable limitations on the solitary confinement of inmates 21 years of age or younger

This bill limits solitary confinement for inmates under 21 in Massachusetts correctional facilities. It prohibits keeping any inmate under 21 in isolation for more than 48 hours, except when they pose an immediate threat to safety, requiring a written report justifying continued confinement. Superintendents must document threats and can extend confinement by up to 24 additional hours only if evidence supports the ongoing risk. The bill does not change solitary confinement rules for inmates over 21, who may still be confined for up to 15 days. It directly affects young inmates in state prisons and local jails, aiming to restrict prolonged isolation.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 2258: An Act to facilitate the reintegration of returning citizens through license reinstatement and payment reform

SD 2258 allows individuals returning from incarceration to temporarily restore their driver's licenses through a payment plan. It requires applicants to have held a license before incarceration and agree to pay outstanding fees, fines, or penalties in installments. The temporary license remains valid only if payments are kept current; failure to pay may lead to revocation after 30 days' notice. This bill directly affects returning citizens who owe fees to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, streamlining license reinstatement without requiring full payment upfront. The policy creates a structured payment mechanism for license restoration under Massachusetts law.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1752: An Act creating an independent correctional oversight office to facilitate the recommendations of the special legislative commission on structural racism in correctional facilities of the Commonwealth

This bill creates an independent oversight office within Massachusetts' Office of Inspector General to address structural racism in correctional facilities, as recommended by a state legislative commission. The office, led by an appointed "anti-racism corrections inspector general," will collect and analyze data on racial disparities - including by race, ethnicity, language, gender identity, and sexual orientation - to monitor the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) incarcerated individuals and correctional staff. The inspector general must have expertise in structural racism and restorative justice, cannot have prior ties to the Department of Corrections, and will report findings to the legislature and public. This office will track progress in dismantling racial inequities in healthcare, programming, staffing, and facility operations.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

All criminal justice bills