WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HD 5997

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

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Massachusetts HD 5997 requires sheriffs to report quarterly, de-identified jail population data to state officials, using CJCTS data for aggregate transparency and oversight.

Placed on file
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 5997

Bill Summary — HD 5997 (Session 194th) — Massachusetts

Note: This summary reflects the text and context provided for the Massachusetts Bill HD 5997, a communication from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) pursuant to Section 40 of Chapter 126 of the General Laws.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • The bill transmits to the Legislature and relevant committees aggregate quarterly population data from Worcester County Correctional Facility (and other jail/house of correction facilities) as required by statute.
  • It aims to fulfill statutory obligations to record and report data on jail and house of correction populations, in a de-identified, aggregate form.
  • The data collection is part of a collaborative effort with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and relies on the Commonwealth’s Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System (CJCTS) for data integration.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Section 40 requirements (as summarized in the report):
    • The sheriff must record, for each person committed to a jail or house of correction, a comprehensive set of data without personal identifiers. Data fields include:
    • 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
    • The aggregate data is compiled into a quarterly report covering the entire quarter.
    • Reports must be de-identified; no identifying information relating to individual inmates/detainees is included.
    • The sheriff must deliver the quarterly reports from each jail/house of correction to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (House and Senate levels)
    • Clerks of the House and Senate
    • The reporting is produced in partnership with EOPSS and uses CJCTS data.
  • Data definitions and disclaimers:
    • Definitions for PCF, SID, and OBTN are included, clarifying identification roles and lag times in data availability.
    • Acknowledgment that three data points (case disposition, bail amount, and reason for no bail) originate with the Trial Court and may not be fully populated by Sheriff’s Offices. The MSA, Trial Court, and EOPSS are working to refine retrieval from CJCTS for electronic reporting.
  • Practical constraints:
    • Some data points may be missing or lagging due to timing of data extraction, cross-system matching, and processing delays.

3) Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Primary: Worcester County Sheriff's Office (and other counties’ sheriffs as applicable under the same statute) responsible for quarterly population reporting.
  • Legislative and oversight entities:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • Joint Committees on the Judiciary (House and Senate)
    • Clerks of the House and Senate
  • Data systems:
    • Massachusetts CJCTS (Cross-Tracking System) and the automated data flows between sheriffs’ offices, the Department of State Police, and trial courts.
  • Members of the public:
    • The bill’s data is aggregated and de-identified; it does not provide information about individual inmates.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Reporting cadence: quarterly population reports, covering the entire calendar quarter.
  • Submission process: Each sheriff delivers the quarterly report to the above state officials and legislative clerks after compiling the data.
  • Data synthesis: The reports leverage CJCTS data and involve coordination with EOPSS and the Trial Court.
  • Public accessibility: Reports are aggregate and de-identified; no inmate-level identifiers are disclosed.
  • Potential timelines:
    • Given the quarterly cadence, reports would be due annually for each quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) with ongoing quarterly submissions.
    • Timeliness may be influenced by data integration lags (SID/PCF/OBTN availability) and ongoing data refinement efforts.

Overall Assessment

HD 5997 formalizes the annual practice of quarterly, de-identified population reporting from sheriffs’ offices, aligning with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 126, Section 40. It emphasizes transparency and data-driven oversight while acknowledging current data limitations (notably case disposition, bail details) and the ongoing work to retrieve these metrics electronically from CJCTS.

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

Sign in to ask a question.