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HD 5990

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

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires Franklin County and similar sheriffs to deliver quarterly, aggregate jail population data—including demographics, charges, admissions, sentences, bail, and progra

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Bill Summary · HD 5990

Summary: HD 5990 (194th Session, Massachusetts)

Note: This document summarizes a bill described as a communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association reporting quarterly population data for Franklin County Correctional Facility, under Section 40 of Chapter 126 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Sections below cover purpose, key provisions, affected parties, and procedural/timeline aspects. The material appears to be a data-reporting requirement rather than a standalone policy initiative.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • To ensure comprehensive, quarterly population data on inmates and detainees housed in jails and houses of correction are recorded and reported by the Franklin County Sheriff (and by extension, other sheriffs under the same statute) to the appropriate state officials.
  • To provide aggregate, non-identifying data about jail/population characteristics for the quarter, enabling oversight and public safety planning.
  • To fulfill statutory obligations in Part I, Title XVIII, Chapter 126, Section 40, including data sharing with designated legislative and executive offices.
  • To document and report data in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and through the Commonwealth's 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 is set
  • Aggregate reporting:
    • For each jail/house of correction, the sheriff must assemble a quarterly population report that covers the entire quarter.
    • Reports must exclude any identifying information that could reveal an individual inmate or detainee.
  • Submission/communication timeline:
    • Each quarter, the sheriff must deliver the report for each jail/house of correction to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (House and Senate)
    • Clerks of the House and Senate
  • Data management/source integration:
    • The report is prepared in partnership with EOPSS and uses data from the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.
  • Data definitions and disclaimers:
    • Definitions for PCF number, SID, and OBTN are provided.
    • Note that SID/PCF/OBTN creation may lag behind initial intake; some identifiers may be missing due to data extraction timing.
  • Important data limitations:
    • The statute requires three data points (case disposition, bail amount, and bail-related reason) that originate with the Trial Court and are not owned by the Sheriffs’ Offices. Sheriffs cannot populate these fields directly.
    • The MSA (Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association), Trial Court, and EOPSS are working to refine data retrieval so these metrics can be reported electronically via the Cross-Tracking System.

3) Who/What Is Affected

  • Primary: Franklin County Sheriff's Office (Franklin County Jail/Correctional Facility) as the reporting entity.
  • Data recipients/overseers:
    • Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (House and Senate)
    • Clerks of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate
  • Indirectly: All involved criminal justice agencies participating in the Cross-Tracking System; other sheriffs may have parallel quarterly reports under the same statutory framework.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Reporting cadence: Quarterly (covers the entire calendar quarter).
  • Data quality/lag considerations: Some identifiers (SID/PCF/OBTN) may be missing due to delays in data generation from the intake process.
  • Data confidentiality: Reports must exclude any individually identifying information; aggregate data only.
  • Compliance mechanism: Statutory requirement; ongoing practice aligned with state data-sharing initiatives and public-safety oversight.

5) Practical Implications

  • Improved transparency and accountability in jail populations through standardized quarterly data.
  • Enhanced capability for lawmakers and oversight bodies to monitor demographics, sentencing lengths, pretrial status, and program participation.
  • Identified data gaps (e.g., case disposition and bail details) that the Trial Court and MSA are working to resolve through electronic reporting.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise one-page briefing or a side-by-side comparison with existing Chapter 126 Section 40 requirements for easier briefing of staff or stakeholders.

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

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