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 Norfolk County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of calendar year 2024

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Requires Norfolk County Correctional Facility quarterly aggregate population reports with defined fields to state officials, boosting transparency and interagency oversight.

Placed on file

HD 4355 — Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association quarterly population report (Norfolk County Correctional Facility)

Overview

Purpose: A communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association submitting aggregated population data for Norfolk County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of 2024 (Q3 2024), in compliance with existing law.

Status: Placed on file (introduced February 6, 2025).

Context: The document reflects data reporting required by Chapter 126, Section 40 of the Massachusetts General Laws, and is produced in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security (EOPSS) using the Commonwealth’s Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.

Purpose and Scope

Reinforces quarterly, aggregate reporting on jail and house-of-correction populations for each sheriff’s office.

Focuses on Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office data for Q3 2024.

Ensures reports are devoid of identifying information about individual inmates or detainees.

Key Provisions / What the Bill Would Do

Reiterate statutory requirement: Sheriffs must assemble and deliver a quarterly aggregate population report for each jail or house of correction.

Data elements (as defined by the report):

Probation Central File (PCF) number
State Identification Number (SID), when available
Race and ethnicity
Offense-Based Tracking Number (OBTN)
Type of release and type of admission
Length of sentence, jail credit, earned time
Program participation/outcome during incarceration
Case disposition and bail information (noting limitations)

Report delivery: Each quarter, the sheriff must submit the Norfolk County data 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 and Senate

Data source: Cross-Tracking System data in collaboration with EOPSS.

Data Definitions and Notable Limitations

PCF Number: Internal identification from the Massachusetts Probation Service.

SID: Ten-character identifier tied to fingerprint-based ID produced by the Department of State Police via AFIS.

OBTN: Unique identifier for fingerprint/arrest/custody events.

Important limitations: The statute requires three data points (case disposition, bail amount, and reason if no bail set) that originate with the Trial Court and are not owned by Sheriff’s Offices. The sheriffs and agencies are working with the Trial Court and EOPSS to refine these metrics for electronic reporting.

Who Is Affected

Inmates and detainees at Norfolk County Correctional Facility (data subject to aggregation and privacy safeguards).

Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office staff compiling and reporting data.

State agencies and legislative bodies relying on cross-system data (Probation Service, Department of State Police, Trial Court, EOPSS) for validation and policy oversight.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Reporting cadence: Quarterly submissions; this document covers Q3 2024.

Transmission recipients: As listed above (legislative and executive offices).

Status in 2025: Introduced and placed on file, signaling no further immediate legislative action required beyond receipt and acknowledgement of the quarterly report.

Potential Impact

Improves transparency and consistency in reporting jail/population metrics.

Facilitates oversight and interagency coordination on data quality and accessibility.

Highlights ongoing data-sharing challenges, particularly for court-disposition and bail fields, and ongoing efforts to harmonize metrics across agencies.