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HD 4348

A communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (see Section 40 of Chapter 126 of the General Laws) submitting the aggregate data on the population of the Bristol County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of calendar year 2024

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

HD 4348 requires transmitting Q3 2024 Bristol County jail population data to state officials in aggregate form, with ongoing interagency efforts to fill missing data fields.

Placed on file
0
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Bill Summary · HD 4348

Summary of HD 4348 — Bristol County Correctional Facility Q3 2024 Population Data Submission

Overview

  • Bill Number: HD 4348
  • Title: A communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association submitting the aggregate data on the population of the Bristol County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of calendar year 2024 (Section 40 of Chapter 126 of the General Laws)
  • Status: Placed on file
  • Introduced: February 6, 2025
  • Classification: Proposed bill

Purpose and Intent

HD 4348 formalizes and transmits the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office quarterly population data for Q3 2024 to key state officials and legislative leaders. The bill reflects compliance with Chapter 126, Section 40, which requires sheriffs to compile and report aggregate, de-identified data on jail and house-of-correction populations. The communication is intended to accompany the quarterly report and ensure proper distribution to the Secretary of Public Safety and Security, chairs of the judiciary and public safety committees, and the clerks of the House and Senate.

Key Provisions and Data Included

  • Aggregated Data Submission: The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office (Bristol County Correctional Facility) data for Q3 2024 is reported in aggregate (no identifying information).
  • Data Elements (per Section 40): For each person admitted, data includes:
    • Probation Central File (PCF) number
    • State Identification Number (SID), if available
    • Race and ethnicity
    • Offense-based tracking number (OBTN)
    • Type of release
    • Type of admission
    • Length of sentence
    • Jail credit for pretrial incarceration
    • Earned time
    • Program participation and outcomes
    • Case disposition
    • Bail amount or reason if no bail set
  • Data Source: Cross-Tracking System (Massachusetts CJCS) in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security (EOPSS)

Data Limitations and Interagency Considerations

  • Not all required data points are currently accessible to Sheriffs’ Offices: specifically, case disposition, bail amount, and bail reason originate with the Trial Court and are not fully populated by sheriffs.
  • The Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA), in coordination with the Trial Court and EOPSS, is actively refining metrics to retrieve these fields electronically from the Cross-Tracking System.

Reporting and Distribution

  • The quarterly report must be delivered to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
    • House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
    • Clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary: Bristol County Sheriff’s Office; state agencies managing criminal justice data (EOPSS, Trial Court, Department of State Police)
  • Impacts: Enhances transparency and data availability on jail populations; informs policymakers while maintaining de-identified, aggregate data; highlights ongoing interagency data gaps and coordination efforts to improve electronic reporting.

Procedural Status and Next Steps

  • Action: Placed on file (no further legislative action indicated at this time)
  • Next steps (external): Continued data collection and interagency collaboration to populate all statutorily required fields, with ongoing refinement of data extraction from the Cross-Tracking System.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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