By Representative Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2030) of Andres X. Vargas relative to structural racism in the parole process. The Judiciary.
S 524, introduced by Senator Liz Miranda, would automatically restore voting rights to individuals with past felony convictions upon completion of their sentences. It directly affects people in Massachusetts who have served their prison terms or probation for felony offenses. The bill's key provision eliminates the need for a separate application or court order, ensuring voting rights are restored automatically without further action. This changes current law, which requires individuals to seek restoration through a separate process.
By Representative Worrell of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2054) of Christopher J. Worrell for legislation to end mandatory life without the possibility of parole for certain young adults. The Judiciary.
SD 246 promotes diversion of juveniles from formal court processing to community supervision and services by removing barriers that previously disqualified young people from diversion programs. The bill ensures that a referral to juvenile court for a child needing assistance does not disqualify them from diversion and clarifies that diverted cases do not count as criminal complaints for certain legal purposes. It also prevents law enforcement from sending fingerprints and arrest records of juveniles (for offenses committed before age 18) to federal agencies like the FBI, except when records are being sealed. These changes aim to reduce long-term negative impacts of juvenile justice involvement by expanding access to community-based alternatives.
HD 624 simplifies expungement for certain cannabis-related convictions in Massachusetts. It requires courts to automatically clear court records for eligible offenses (like possession of small amounts of marijuana) upon request, without needing additional hearings or actions. The bill also directs correction officials to review prison records and identify inmates held solely for now-decriminalized marijuana offenses (pre-2016 or probation/parole violations related to marijuana), allowing them to apply for immediate release within 10 days. This directly affects people with past cannabis convictions and current inmates whose detention is based solely on marijuana-related charges that are no longer criminal. The law removes procedural barriers to expungement and streamlines release for eligible individuals.
This bill requires all domestic violence-related injunctions (temporary, preliminary, permanent, or final) issued under specific Massachusetts laws to be entered into the statewide domestic violence recordkeeping system. Clerks must send certified copies of these injunctions to the commissioner of probation for inclusion in the system. This information will then be accessible to judges reviewing new injunction requests and to criminal justice agencies via the state's criminal justice information system. The policy change ensures consistent access to complete domestic violence injunction records across relevant state systems.
HD 1709 modifies parole violation procedures to increase fairness. It specifies that parole officers can issue temporary custody warrants only for certain serious violations (like tampering with GPS, contacting victims, or violating protection orders), and requires parole board review for other alleged breaches. The bill mandates a preliminary hearing within 15 days of detention to determine if a violation occurred, with a decision issued within 48 hours. Parolees placed in temporary custody are affected, as are parole officers and the parole board, which must now follow these structured steps before revoking parole. The key change is creating clearer, more limited conditions for temporary detention and requiring timely judicial review.
This bill modifies parole eligibility for individuals serving life sentences in Massachusetts. It establishes a 25-year parole hearing requirement for most life sentence prisoners (including those with multiple life sentences arising from separate incidents), replacing previous restrictions. For murder convictions, it sets minimum parole terms of 25 years for adults, 15-20 years for offenders aged 14-18 at the time of crime, and 10-12 years for juvenile offenders in felony murder cases. Additionally, it mandates a voluntary restorative justice program for prisoners serving over 25 years, allowing victim-offender dialogue while protecting confidentiality of program discussions.
This bill establishes mandatory post-release supervision for most individuals released from prison in Massachusetts. It requires a period equal to 25% of their maximum prison sentence (minimum nine months) for those sentenced to incarceration, excluding people on probation, parole, or lifetime community parole. Supervision is managed by the probation office for short sentences (under one year) or the parole board for longer sentences, with early termination possible after nine months under specific conditions like stable housing and employment. Violations can lead to increased supervision, short jail terms, or extended supervision periods, but do not automatically trigger new criminal charges.
By Mr. Brownsberger, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1643) of William N. Brownsberger for legislation relative to access to community corrections. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
