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HD 5988

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 Dukes County Correctional Facility for the third quarter of calendar year 2025

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires quarterly, aggregate reporting on jail populations with standardized data (demographics, offenses, sentences, programs) from sheriffs to state officials, without

Placed on file
0
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Bill Summary · HD 5988

Summary of Bill HD 5988 (Massachusetts, 194th Session)

Note: This bill is a communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) submitting quarterly data on the population of the Dukes County Correctional Facility, pursuant to General Laws Chapter 126, Section 40.

1. Purpose and Intent

  • To provide an aggregate, quarterly data report on the population of the Dukes County Correctional Facility (Dukes County Jail) as required by Massachusetts law.
  • The report is intended to be a statewide, standardized data submission from sheriffs’ offices, ensuring transparency and data-sharing with state safety/public safety bodies and legislative committees.
  • The data are to be compiled in cooperation with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.

2. Key Provisions and Changes

  • Data Collection Requirements (for each person committed to a jail or house of correction):
    • Probation Central File (PCF) number
    • State Identification Number (SID), if available (fingerprint-based)
    • Race and ethnicity
    • Offense-based tracking number (OBTN)
    • Type of release
    • Type of admission
    • Length of sentence
    • Jail credit from pretrial incarceration
    • Earned time
    • Program participation and outcomes during incarceration
    • Case disposition
    • Bail amount or reason if no bail set
  • Quarterly Aggregate Report:
    • Sheriffs must assemble aggregate data on the population of each jail/house of correction for the entire quarter.
    • Reports must be prepared in a way that contains no identifying information about individual inmates or detainees.
    • Each quarter, the sheriff must deliver the report for each jail/house of correction to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • House and Senate chairpersons of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
    • House and Senate chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
    • Clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate
  • Data Source and Collaboration:
    • The report is produced in part through partnership with EOPSS using data from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.
  • Data Definitions and Disclaimer:
    • Defines what PCF, SID, and OBTN are, and explains limitations (e.g., SID/PCF/OBTN generation lags and potential missing data at intake).
    • Noted that certain data points—specifically case disposition, bail amount, and reason for no bail—are not owned by Sheriffs’ Offices and originate with the Trial Court. Sheriffs cannot populate these fields directly unless retrieved electronically via the Cross-Tracking System; efforts are ongoing to refine retrieval.
  • Data Completeness Note:
    • Acknowledges possible data gaps due to timing of data extraction and the lag in SID/PCF/OBTN generation.

3. Who/What is Affected

  • Affected Entity: Dukes County Sheriff’s Office (Dukes County Correctional Facility) and, more broadly, the statewide implementation for all sheriffs’ offices reporting under Chapter 126, Section 40.
  • Stakeholders:
    • Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association
    • Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS)
    • Trial Court (for data points like case disposition and bail)
    • Joint Committees on the Judiciary and on Public Safety and Homeland Security
    • Clerks of the Houses (House and Senate)

4. Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
  • Reporting Schedule: The sheriff must deliver quarterly reports to the specified state and legislative offices and clerks each quarter (covering the entire calendar quarter).
  • Data Handling: Reports must be aggregate with no individual-identifying information.
  • Data System Integration: Emphasizes reliance on the Cross-Tracking System; ongoing efforts to ensure capture of disposition, bail, and related data electronically.
  • Status: Action history indicates the bill was “placed on file” on 2026-04-16, meaning it has been formally recorded but not enacted or advanced as a standalone measure in this summary context.

5. Practical Implications

  • For the Dukes County facility: Regular, standardized reporting of population characteristics and incarceration-related metrics.
  • For policymakers and researchers: Improved transparency and data availability on jail populations, tenure, program participation, and outcomes, albeit with noted limitations on certain data points pending integration improvements.
  • For public safety governance: Enhanced ability to monitor jail demographics, programming participation, and potential disparities across the system.

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

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