WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HD 5986

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 third quarter of calendar year 2025

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires quarterly aggregation of jail population data (demographics, offenses, sentences, program outcomes) with no personal identifiers, shared with state officials.

Placed on file
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 5986

Summary: HD 5986 (Massachusetts, 194th Session)

Title: A communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association submitting the aggregate data on the population of Berkshire County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of calendar year 2025

Note: This is a Massachusetts bill/communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) pursuant to Chapter 126, Section 40, Part I, Title XVIII of the General Laws. It concerns annual/quarterly reporting requirements for jail populations and related data.

1. Purpose and Intent

  • The bill directs sheriffs to record comprehensive data on individuals committed to jails or houses of correction.
  • The data collection is intended to support statewide transparency and accountability by compiling quarterly aggregate population data for each jail or house of correction.
  • The report is to be submitted in compliance with Section 40 of Chapter 126, and the aggregate data are to be shared with the Secretary of Public Safety and Security, chairs of relevant judiciary and public safety committees, and the clerks of both houses.
  • The reporting effort is described as a collaborative product of the MSA and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), leveraging the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.

2. Key Provisions and Data Elements

  • The sheriff must record, for every person committed to a jail or house of correction, the following data points without limitation:
    • Probation Central File (PCF) number
    • State Identification Number (SID), if available (fingerprint-based)
    • Race and ethnicity
    • Offense-based Tracking Number (OBTN)
    • Bail type
    • Admission type
    • Length of sentence
    • Jail credit for pretrial incarceration
    • Earned time
    • Program participation and outcomes during incarceration
    • Case disposition
    • Bail amount or reason if no bail set
  • The data must be aggregated into a quarterly report covering the entire quarter, with the sheriff’s report containing no individually identifying information.
  • The quarterly reports are to be delivered each quarter 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
  • Data provenance and definitions are provided to explain terms (PCF, SID, OBTN). There is an emphasis on data limitations, including lags in SID/PCF/OBTN availability and potential gaps in the report due to extraction timing.
  • Important data note: Three data points—case disposition, bail amount, and reason if no bail set—originate from the Trial Court and are not owned by Sheriffs’ Offices. The MSA, in collaboration with the Trial Court and EOPSS, is working to refine methods to retrieve these metrics electronically via the Cross-Tracking System.

3. Affected Parties and Scope

  • Primary affected entities: County sheriffs and their offices responsible for recording admissions, releases, and related data for individuals in jails/houses of correction (as exemplified by Berkshire County Correctional Facility data).
  • Data recipients: State-level public safety agencies and legislative leadership as listed above.
  • The bill references data sharing through the Cross-Tracking System, indicating reliance on statewide criminal justice data infrastructure.

4. Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The requirement is to produce and submit a quarterly aggregate population report for each jail/house of correction.
  • Reports must be delivered on a quarterly basis, covering the entire quarterly period, and distributed to specified state officials and legislative clerks.
  • The Berkshire County example (Q3 2025) is included to illustrate the reporting format and scope, but the statute applies to all jails/houses of correction in the Commonwealth.
  • The data definitions and disclaimer sections acknowledge ongoing work to align data elements with Trial Court reporting and electronic retrieval.

5. Practical Impacts and Considerations

  • Enhanced transparency: Public and legislative access to aggregate jail population data, including demographics, offenses, admissions, sentences, and program participation outcomes.
  • Data quality challenges: Some fields (case disposition, bail amount, bail rationale) depend on external Trial Court data and may have gaps or lag times; ongoing work is needed to streamline electronic reporting.
  • Privacy protections: Reports must exclude any identifying information about individual inmates or detainees, focusing on aggregate data.

Overall, HD 5986 codifies and clarifies the quarterly collection and dissemination of jail population data across Massachusetts, expanding the data elements tracked, and mandating quarterly reporting to key government oversight bodies while acknowledging data limitations and interagency collaboration to improve electronic reporting.

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

Sign in to ask a question.