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HD 6014

A communication from the Office of the Trial Court (see Section 99F of Chapter 276 of the General Laws) submitting its annual report of the Massachusetts Probation Service for fiscal year 2025

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill reports FY2025 MPS highlights: tech modernization (CMS, GPS), emerging adults division, BH-JI housing/health referrals, RED work, CJSC programs, and workforce development.

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Bill Summary · HD 6014

Bill HD 6014 (Session 194th) – Massachusetts Probation Service FY 2025 Annual Report

Note: This summary covers a communication from the Office of the Trial Court submitting the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) FY 2025 Annual Report, in accordance with Section 99F of Chapter 276 of the General Laws.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Purpose: To transmit and summarize the Massachusetts Probation Service’s annual report for fiscal year 2025. The report provides an overview of MPS activities, programs, outcomes, and initiatives conducted during FY 2025.
  • Legal/Procedural basis: The bill is a communication from the Office of the Trial Court (per Section 99F of Chapter 276) submitting the annual MPS report to the Legislature and Trial Court leadership.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Overview of FY 2025 Achievements:

    • Continued modernization of operations, including a cloud-based case management system (CMS) built with Slalom and Salesforce to streamline case management, improve data quality, and boost productivity.
    • Expansion of GPS monitoring technology for roughly 3,500–3,600 clients, with early data showing better compliance and fewer core alerts/warrant issuances.
    • Creation and deployment of an Emerging Adults Division (for ages 18–24), with seven District Courts piloting developmentally informed services; emerging adults represent about 15.3% of the adult caseload.
    • Launch of the Inclusive Leadership Model and the MPS Mentorship Program to improve workforce development, culture, and diversity.
    • Expansion of Behavioral Health–Justice Involved (BH-JI) supports to pretrial and post-dispositional probationers, with added housing and social-service referrals.
    • Ongoing efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities (RED) through research and performance analysis to identify drivers of inequity.
    • Role of Community Corrections’ 18 Community Justice Support Centers (CJSCs): 723 individuals avoided incarceration; over 64,000 hours of programming delivered; average weekly participation around 688.
    • Juvenile Probation collaboration with DYS, DCF, and Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative to address overrepresentation of youth of color.
    • Expanded access to healthcare and social services via BH-JI and MassHealth initiatives; 998 referrals with 709 assisted.
    • Warrant management improvements: since FY 2023, warrants issued for GPS/SCRAM alerts declined by 41%.
    • DNA collection and Carey Guides (CBI tools) implementation for evidence-based practices; over 160 Supervisor BriefCASE sessions; more than 28,000 Carey Guide tools used.

  • Notable Programs and Initiatives:

    • New Case Management System (CMS) pilot scheduled for early 2026; core CMS features include a web provider portal and integrations with MassCourts for streamlined data flow.
    • GMU/APPA research and training collaboration on sentencing recommendations to better align with public safety and probation goals.
    • Interactive Text Response (ITR) program: 385,877 text messages in FY 2025 to court users (up 7.3% from prior year).
    • Reentry Housing and MassHealth initiatives aimed at housing stability and access to health services for justice-involved individuals.
    • Probation Officer Academy: launched and conducted in FY 2025 to enhance frontline staff preparation.

  • Community Engagement:

    • Nearly 300 statewide community engagement events; activities include donations drives, tabling/fairs, public events, staff/dept collaborations, and youth/community partnerships.
    • Examples include National Night Out participation, holiday drives, clothing and food drives, and joint events with local districts, CJSCs, and community organizations.

  • Workforce:

    • Total MPS employees: approximately 1,870; data show a workforce with a majority female staff (66.8%), a significant proportion of BIPOC representation (about 31.1%); average staff tenure and demographic breakdowns are provided.

3) Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Affected Entities:
    • Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) employees, including Probation Officers, Associate Probation Officers, and central/field leadership.
    • Court departments and divisions (Trial Court, Superior Court, Juvenile Court, Probate and Family, Pretrial Services, MassHealth partners).
    • Community partners and CJSCs, treatment providers, housing services, and victim services units.
  • Population Impacted:
    • Individuals on pretrial status, those under probation supervision, and individuals reentering the community.
    • Emerging adults (18–24) under probation supervision.
    • Juveniles and families engaged with Juvenile Probation, DYS, DCF, and related agencies.
    • Victims of crime and other court users receiving services and resources.

4) Procedural/Timeline Aspects

  • Submittal Context: An annual status report from MPS, transmitted by the Office of the Trial Court under statutory guidance (Section 99F, Chapter 276).
  • Implementation Timelines:
    • CMS development ongoing with pilot and anticipated full launch in early 2026.
    • Emerging Adults Division pilots ongoing across seven District Courts; expansion contingent on pilot results.
    • Ongoing RED and equity reforms guided by research and performance analysis; timeline aligned with annual reporting cycles.
  • Data Coverage: FY 2025 period; includes qualitative narratives, program metrics, staff demographics, and regional/court-level breakdowns.

Summary: The HD 6014 bill serves as a formal annual report submission from the Massachusetts Probation Service, highlighting FY 2025 initiatives, outcomes, and strategic directions, including technology modernization, targeted programs for emerging adults, health and housing supports, RED reforms, community engagement, and workforce development.

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

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