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HD 5043

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 Berkshire County Correctional Facility for the first quarter of calendar year 2025

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Requires Berkshire County to submit a quarterly, aggregate, non-identifying jail population report, sharing key data with state officials to boost transparency and policy review.

Placed on file
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Bill Summary · HD 5043

Bill Summary: HD 5043 — Quarterly Population Report for Berkshire County Correctional Facility (Q1 2025)

Purpose and Intent

HD 5043 is a proposed communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) referencing Section 40 of Chapter 126 of the General Laws. The bill requires the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office to submit an aggregate, quarterly population report for the Berkshire County Correctional Facility (Q1 2025) and to share the data with specified state officials and legislative leadership. The overarching goal is to provide a standardized, non-identifying snapshot of jail and house of correction populations to support transparency and data-driven policy review.

Key Provisions

  • Each sheriff must assemble an aggregate quarterly report on the population of jails and houses of correction, covering the entire quarterly period.
  • For each person admitted or held, the report should include specific data elements (see Data Elements below) while ensuring no identifying information is disclosed.
  • Reports must be delivered quarterly to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (House and Senate)
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (House and Senate)
    • Clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate
  • The Berkshire County report is prepared in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security and uses data from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cross-Tracking System.

Data Elements and Definitions (as outlined in the bill text)

  • Required data fields, at minimum, include:
    • Probation Central File (PCF) number
    • State Identification Number (SID) when available
    • Offense-Based Tracking Number (OBTN)
    • Race and ethnicity
    • Booking/admission details (e.g., admit type)
    • Bail amount or reason if no bail set
    • Type of release
    • Type of admission
    • Length of sentence
    • Jail credit for pretrial incarceration
    • Earned time
    • Program participation and outcomes during incarceration
    • Case disposition
  • The data supplied must be aggregate (no identifying information about individuals).

Data Definitions & Important Notes

  • PCF: Probation Central File number; not fingerprint-based.
  • SID: Ten-character alphanumeric state ID used for fingerprint-identified individuals.
  • OBTN: Unique identifier for a fingerprint/arrest/custody event.
  • Note: SID, PCF, and OBTN may lag behind real-time intake data; some values may be missing if not yet generated or attached to the record.
  • Important limitation: Three data points (case disposition, bail amount, and reason if no bail set) originate with the Trial Court and are not always available to Sheriffs’ Offices. The MSA, with Trial Court and EOPSS, is working to refine retrieval and electronic reporting of these fields via the Cross-Tracking System.

Data Handling, Privacy, and Limitation

  • Reports must exclude any individually identifying information.
  • Data quality may be affected by delays in cross-system identification numbers (SID/PCF/OBTN) and the pending integration of certain fields (disposition, bail, bail-reason).

Affected Parties

  • Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office and staff
  • Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (lead format and coordination)
  • Executive Office of Public Safety & Security
  • Massachusetts Trial Court (for data points tied to judicial dispositions and bail decisions)
  • Legislative chairs and clerks of the Judiciary and Public Safety committees

Timeline and Status

  • Introduced and placed on file: August 18, 2025
  • Status: Placed on file (no enactment at this time)

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Enhances transparency by providing quarterly, aggregate data on jail populations for Berkshire County.
  • Facilitates comparative analysis across sheriffs’ offices when data is standardized and fully integrated.
  • Highlights data-sharing challenges between sheriffs’ offices and courts, especially around bail and disposition data.
  • Could inform policy discussions on jail populations, pretrial practices, program effectiveness, and resource allocation.

Note: This summary reflects the bill’s text and stated provisions as filed; the measure does not appear to enact new penalties or funding but seeks to codify quarterly reporting and data-sharing practices.

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

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