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HD 5996

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

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Require quarterly de-identified, aggregate reporting of jail and correctional population data to state safety and judiciary bodies to improve transparency and cross-agency coordina

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Bill Summary · HD 5996

Summary of HD 5996 (Session 194th) — Massachusetts

Note: This is a Massachusetts bill framed as a communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) under Chapter 126, Section 40. The document presents a quarterly population report from Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office with specified data elements and definitions. The summary below distills the bill’s purpose, key provisions, affected entities, and timeline/procedural aspects.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • To require the recording and reporting of detailed, aggregate population data for individuals committed to jails or houses of correction, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XVIII, Chapter 126, Section 40.
  • To provide quarterly, de-identified aggregate data to state-level public safety and judiciary oversight bodies, incorporating data from the Cross-Tracking System in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).
  • To improve data transparency and interagency sharing about jail and correctional populations, including demographic, offense, and release information, while acknowledging data limitations and gaps (e.g., data points originating with the Trial Court).

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Data to be Collected (for each person admitted to a jail or house of correction):

    • Probation Central File (PCF) Number
    • State Identification Number (SID), if available
    • 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:

    • Sheriff’s Offices must assemble quarterly aggregate data for each jail/house of correction.
    • Reports must cover the entire quarterly period and must not contain identifying information about individual inmates or detainees.
    • Reports must be delivered each quarter to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • The House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
    • The House and Senate Clerks

  • Data Source and Partnering:

    • Reports are produced in part with the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security (EOPSS) and use data from the Commonwealth’s Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.

  • Data Definitions and Limitations:

    • Definitions for PCF Number, SID, and OBTN are provided, noting that these identifiers may lag behind real-time intake and may not be available for every record.
    • Important Data Note: Case disposition, bail amount, and reason for no bail originate with the Trial Court and are not fully populated by Sheriff’s Offices. The MSAs and partners are working to refine retrieval from the Cross-Tracking System and to report electronically.

3) Who/What Is Affected

  • Primary: Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Offices (with Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office specifically illustrated in the report).
  • Data Recipients:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (House and Senate)
    • Clerks of the House and Senate
  • Data Systems: Cross-Tracking System used to compile interagency data; coordination with Trial Court and EOPSS.

4) Procedural/Timeline Aspects

  • Timing: Data must be reported quarterly, covering the entire calendar quarter.
  • Reporting Obligation: Each sheriff’s office must deliver quarterly reports to the specified state officials and clerks.
  • Compliance Scope: The statute requires reporting of a broad set of data fields; some fields may be incomplete due to data ownership (e.g., case disposition, bail) and timing lags, with ongoing efforts to streamline electronic reporting.

5) Potential Impact

  • Enhanced transparency and accountability for jail populations at the county level.
  • Improved cross-agency data sharing and coordination among sheriffs, Trial Court, and state safety agencies.
  • More robust data analytics capabilities for policy makers assessing jail demographics, sentences, program outcomes, and pretrial detention patterns.
  • Likely administrative overhead for sheriffs to compile quarterly de-identified datasets and ensure consistency with cross-tracking data.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language glossary of the data fields (PCF, SID, OBTN) or a section-by-section extraction of the Suffolk County sample data presented in the bill.

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

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