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SD 3949

Bristol County Sheriff's Office Fourth Quarter 2025 Population Report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Massachusetts sheriffs must quarterly report aggregated jail population data to state officials, ensuring de-identified, standardized metrics for oversight and policy analysis.

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Bill Summary · SD 3949

Summary of Bill SD 3949 (Session 194th) — Bristol County Sheriff's Office Fourth Quarter 2025 Population Report

  • The bill establishes and mandates a quarterly population reporting requirement for Massachusetts sheriffs, with a specific focus on Bristol County Sheriff’s Office for Q4 2025 data in the included report.

  • Jurisdiction and source: Massachusetts, administered through the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, in alignment with law requiring recording and reporting of jail and house of correction population data.

Purpose and Intent

  • To collect, compile, and report aggregate population data from jails and houses of correction (for all inmates and detainees) on a quarterly basis.
  • To ensure reporting transparency while protecting inmate privacy (no identifying information in the published report).
  • To improve data availability for policymakers, public safety stakeholders, and the public, supporting oversight and program evaluation.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Data to be Recorded (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 set

  • Data Aggregation and Reporting:

    • The sheriff must assemble aggregate data for the population of each jail and house of correction into a quarterly report covering the entire quarter.
    • The published report must exclude any identifying information about individual inmates or detainees.

  • Submission/Distribution:

    • Each quarter, the sheriff must deliver the report from each jail/house of correction to:
    • Secretary of Public Safety and Security
    • 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 and Senate

  • Data Source and Collaboration:

    • Report is produced in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) using data from the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System.

  • Data Definitions and Limitations:

    • Clarifies what PCF, SID, and OBNTN are, and notes that SID/PCF/OBTN numbers may lag or be unavailable at intake.
    • Important data note: three data points (case disposition, bail amount, and bail reason) originate with the Trial Court and may not be directly populated by Sheriff’s Offices; efforts are ongoing to refine retrieval from the Cross-Tracking System.

Who/What is Affected

  • Primary: Massachusetts sheriffs and their jails/houses of correction, with Bristol County Sheriff’s Office specifically highlighted for the Q4 2025 reporting.
  • Governmental bodies: Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security; Joint Committee on the Judiciary; Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security; House and Senate clerks.
  • Indirectly: Inmates and detainees (data collected) and the public (through public-facing aggregated data).

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Frequency: Quarterly reporting requirement (every quarter, including Q4 2025 for Bristol County’s data in the included report).
  • Data handling: Emphasis on de-identification in published materials; data is to be aggregated at the jail/agency level.
  • Compliance: Sheriffs must compile, anonymize, and transmit the data to designated state officials and legislators each quarter.

Practical Implications and Impact

  • Enhances transparency of jail populations and associated factors (admissions, releases, program outcomes, sentencing, credits, etc.).
  • Enables better oversight, policy analysis, and potential public safety planning based on standardized metrics across counties.
  • Highlights ongoing collaboration with Trial Court and EOPSS to optimize data extraction from the Cross-Tracking System and ensure key metrics (disposition, bail) are reportable electronically.

Note: The material describes a data-collection and reporting framework rather than introducing new criminal penalties or changes to individual rights. It focuses on improving data quality, privacy protection, and intergovernmental reporting efficiency.

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

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