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HD 5993

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

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Imposes quarterly, aggregate, non-identifying population data reporting from sheriffs for each jail, improving transparency and cross-agency oversight.

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Bill Summary · HD 5993

Summary of Bill: HD 5993 (Massachusetts, 194th Session)

Note: This bill originates as a communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) under Chapter 126, Section 40, Part I of the General Laws. It concerns the quarterly population data report for Middlesex County Correctional Facility and related data reporting requirements.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Establish and formalize the requirement for sheriffs to record and report comprehensive population data for individuals committed to jails or houses of correction.
  • Create a quarterly aggregate data report for each jail/house of correction, covering the entire quarter.
  • Ensure data is collected and reported to key legislative and executive stakeholders while protecting individual privacy (no identifying information in the quarterly report).

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Data to be recorded (for each inmate):
    • Probation Central File number (PCF)
    • 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 outcome during incarceration
    • Case disposition
    • Bail amount or reason if no bail set
  • Aggregate reporting:
    • Each sheriff must assemble a quarterly aggregate data report for each jail/house of correction.
    • Reports must cover the entire quarterly period and contain no identifying information about individual inmates or detainees.
  • Transmission/Distribution:
    • Reports 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 source and collaboration:
    • Reports prepared in part with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) using data from the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.
  • Data definitions and disclaimers:
    • Definitions for PCF, SID, and OBTN are provided.
    • Acknowledges that SID/PCF/OBTN can lag (not always available at intake) and may be missing in some reports.
  • Important limitations:
    • Three data points required by statute (case disposition, bail amount, and reason for no bail) originate with the Trial Court and may not be fully populated by Sheriffs’ Offices. The MSA, Trial Court, and EOPSS are working to refine retrieval and electronic reporting of these metrics.

3) Who/What Is Affected

  • Primary: County jails and houses of correction in Massachusetts, with Middlesex County Correctional Facility as the example facility.
  • Responsible party: The Sheriff of each jail (Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association oversees compliance).
  • Data recipients: State-level and legislative branches (Secretary of Public Safety and Security; judiciary chairs; clerks).
  • Data system: Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System (data source for reporting).

4) Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Frequency: Quarterly reporting.
  • Coverage: Entire quarterly period (no inmate-identifying information in the published aggregate report).
  • Delivery timeline: Reports due each quarter to listed state and legislative recipients.
  • Data quality/timing caveats: Recognizes potential lag in SID/PCF/OBTN availability; some fields (case disposition, bail, reason for no bail) may be partially incomplete and subject to cross-agency refinement.
  • Collaboration: Ongoing coordination among the MSA, Trial Court, and EOPSS to enable electronic retrieval of certain metrics.

5) Practical Impact and Implications

  • Improves transparency and oversight of jail populations through standardized, quarterly, aggregate data.
  • Facilitates cross-agency data sharing and better-informed policy analysis by lawmakers and public safety officials.
  • Enhances accountability while protecting individual privacy in published reports.
  • May require sheriffs to update data collection practices to align with the defined fields and to coordinate with Trial Court and EOPSS for three data points that originate outside the Sheriff’s Office.

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

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