Chapter 127

Section 151. When a prisoner at the expiration of his sentence is in such condition from bodily infirmity or disease as to render his removal from a correctional institution inexpedient, the principal officer of such institution may, with the approval of the physician, authorize …

Section 151A. The compacting states to this interstate compact recognize that each state is responsible for the supervision of adult offenders in the community who are authorized pursuant to the by-laws and rules of this compact to travel across state lines both to and from each …

Section 151B. As used in sections 151A to 151N, inclusive, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning have the following meanings:— ''Adult'', individuals legally classified as adults and juveniles treated as adults by court order, statute,…

Section 151C. (a) The compacting states hereby create the interstate commission for adult offender supervision. (b) The interstate commission shall be a body corporate and joint agency of the compacting states. (c) The interstate commission shall have all the responsibilities, po…

Section 151D. The chairman of the parole board, or his designee, shall serve as the compact administrator and as the state's commissioner on the interstate compact commission. The Massachusetts state council shall be appointed by the compact administrator. The state council shall…

Section 151E. The interstate commission shall have the following powers and duties:— (a) to adopt a seal and suitable by-laws governing the management and operation of the interstate commission; (b) to promulgate rules which shall have the force and effect of statutory law and sh…

Section 151F. (a) The interstate commission shall, by a majority of the members, within 12 months of the first interstate commission meeting, adopt by-laws to govern its conduct as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the compact including, but not limited…

Section 151G. (a) The interstate commission shall meet and take such actions as are consistent with the provisions of this compact. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this compact and unless a greater percentage is required by the by-laws, in order to constitute an act of the in…

Section 151H. (a) The interstate commission shall promulgate rules in order to effectively and efficiently achieve the purposes of the compact including transition rules governing administration of the compact during the period in which it is being considered and enacted by the s…

Section 151I. (a) (1) The interstate commission shall oversee the interstate movement of adult offenders in the compacting states and shall monitor such activities being administered in non-compacting states which may significantly affect compacting states. (2) The courts and exe…

Section 151J. (a) The interstate commission shall pay or provide for the payment of the reasonable expenses of its establishment, organization and ongoing activities. (b) The interstate commission shall levy on and collect an annual assessment from each compacting state to cover …

Section 151K. (a) Any state is eligible to become a compacting state. (b) The compact shall become effective and binding upon legislative enactment of the compact into law by no less than 35 of the states. The initial effective date shall be the later of July 1, 2001, or upon ena…

Section 151L. (a) (1) Once effective, the compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon each and every compacting state except that a compacting state may withdraw from the compact by enacting a statute specifically repealing the statute which enacted the compact into l…

Section 151M. (a) The provisions of this compact shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision is deemed unenforceable, the remaining provisions of the compact shall be enforceable. (b) The provisions of this compact shall be liberally constructed to effect…

Section 151N. (a) (1) Nothing herein prevents the enforcement of any other law of a compacting state that is not inconsistent with this compact. (2) All compacting states' laws conflicting with this compact are superseded to the extent of the conflict. (b) (1) All lawful actions …

Section 152. In a case in which the governor is authorized by the constitution to grant a pardon, he may, with the advice and consent of the council, and upon the written petition of the petitioner, grant it, subject to such conditions, restrictions and limitations as he consider…

Section 153. In all cases of petitions for pardons referred to the executive council by the governor, where the petitioner is serving a sentence in the state prison, the executive secretary shall notify the attorney general, and also the district attorney who prosecuted the case,…

Section 154. The parole board shall be the advisory board of pardons. Said board shall, forthwith, upon receipt of a pardon petition in a case in which the petitioner is confined in a correctional institution of the commonwealth, forward a copy of such petition to the attorney ge…

Section 155. If a prisoner who has been pardoned upon conditions to be observed and performed by him violates such conditions, the parole board shall forthwith cause him to be arrested and detained, and the warden, superintendent or keeper, respectively, of the institution in whi…

Section 156. The governor and council shall, upon receiving such notice, examine the case of such prisoner; and if it appears by his own admission or by evidence that he has violated the condition of his pardon, the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, shall orde…

Section 157. If a prisoner is pardoned or his punishment is commuted, the officer to whom the warrant for such purpose is issued shall, as soon as may be after executing it, make return thereof, signed by him, with his doings thereon, to the secretary's office, and shall file in …

Section 158. The agents employed by the parole board shall, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the board, supervise, counsel and advise prisoners released on parole from the correctional institutions of the commonwealth, or from any institution to which they were rem…

Section 16. The superintendents of the correctional institutions of the commonwealth, and the keepers and superintendents of jails and houses of correction shall cause a thorough physical examination to be made by a competent physician of each inmate in their respective instituti…

Section 160. The parole board may expend such sum as may be appropriated for the assistance of prisoners released from any correctional institution of the commonwealth, or from any institution to which they were removed therefrom. Such assistance may be in the form of a loan on s…

Section 161. The commissioner shall cause an account to be kept of the money expended by the agents for the necessary expenses of the service required by sections one hundred and fifty-eight and one hundred and fifty-nine, for correspondence and travel in procuring employment for…

Section 162. The superintendent of any correctional institution of the commonwealth may pay from the treasury of the institution not more than fifty dollars to every prisoner leaving the institution. A prisoner who leaves the institution shall be provided with decent clothing.

Section 162A. The superintendent of a correctional institution shall immediately prior to the release or discharge from such institution of any person sentenced upon conviction of the crime of arson or a violation of sections 102 to 102C, inclusive, of chapter 266 notify the stat…

Section 163. The agents for aiding discharged prisoners shall annually, on or before December fifteenth, make full and detailed statements to the commissioner of their doings for the year ending on November thirtieth, which shall be included by the commissioner in his annual repo…

Section 164. The county commissioners may provide a prisoner released from prison with such amount of money as in their opinion can be wisely used to encourage his reformation, or they may pay it to a suitable person designated by them to be used for such prisoner.

Section 165. The superintendent or keeper of a jail or house of correction may, with the approval of the county commissioners, expend such amount, not exceeding twenty-five dollars, in aiding a prisoner discharged from his custody as in his opinion will assist such prisoner in hi…

Section 166. No person shall, in the attempt to procure, or for the procurement of, any pardon, parole, commutation of or respite from sentence of a prisoner then confined in, or at liberty after having been confined in, any of the penal institutions of this commonwealth, or then…

Section 167. No person shall represent or purport to represent any prisoner then confined in, or at liberty after having been confined in, any of the penal institutions of this commonwealth or then under sentence to serve a term of imprisonment in any of said institutions, in the…

Section 168. Whoever violates any provision of section one hundred and sixty-six or one hundred and sixty-seven shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.

Section 169. A copy of sections one hundred and sixty-six to one hundred and sixty-nine, inclusive, shall be printed on the form of any petition for pardon, parole, commutation of or respite from sentence, but shall not be deemed a part of such petition.

Section 16A. The commissioner may include in the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section forty-eight provisions for the reimbursement of medical expenses by persons incarcerated in department of correction pre-release facilities.

Section 17. Specifications governing the manner and time of such physical examinations shall be promulgated by the department of public health. Said department shall prescribe the medical records to be kept, shall require such laboratory or other diagnostic aids to be used as in …

Section 170. The parole board shall record and securely store all audio for all parole board hearings. Audio from each parolee's hearing(s) shall be securely stored and may only be deleted when that individual is no longer on parole or is deceased.

Section 171. (a) For the purposes of this section, the terms ''county correctional facility'', ''state correctional facility'' and ''state prison'' shall have the same meanings as those terms are defined in section 1 of chapter 125. (b) The department of correction, state correct…

Section 17A. (a) The commissioner shall establish programs in state correctional facilities, as defined in section 1 of chapter 125. The programs shall include, but not be limited to, residential treatment units, as are necessary for the treatment of mentally ill inmates confined…

Section 17B. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of public health, shall offer medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder to a state detainee or prisoner at the Massachusetts alcohol and substance abuse center, the Massachusetts correctional institu…

Section 17C. The commissioner shall ensure that, not later than 120 days prior to the expected discharge date of a state detainee or prisoner serving a sentence to a state prison, a state detainee or prisoner shall have access to a qualified addiction specialist who shall conduct…

Section 17D. (a) The commissioner shall report quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery, the joint committee on public safety and homeland security and the joint committee on the judiciary the…

Section 18. Any officer named in section sixteen who neglects or refuses to comply with said section or who violates any rule or regulation of the department of public health made under section seventeen shall forfeit not more than fifty dollars.

Section 19. The commissioner may institute a system of physical training, including military drill and organized athletic sports in any penal institution in the commonwealth, to be under the direction of the director of physical training of the department. He may prescribe the po…

Section 1A. In accordance with paragraphs (d) and (q) of section one of chapter one hundred and twenty-four the commissioner shall establish, and shall from time to time revise, minimum standards for the care and custody of all persons committed to county correctional facilities.…

Section 1B. At least once each six months the commissioner or his delegate shall inspect each county correctional facility to determine compliance with minimum standards. The results of such inspections shall be summarized in the annual report of the commissioner to the general c…

Section 2. The superintendents of correctional institutions of the commonwealth and the superintendents and keepers of jails, houses of correction and of all other penal or reformatory institutions shall keep full and accurate records of all prisoners committed thereto, maintaine…

Section 20. There shall be established by the commissioner, with the approval of the governor and council, a reception center for all male prisoners, except those sentenced to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Bridgewater. Any male convict who is sentenced to any correc…

Section 20A. The superintendent of each correctional facility shall establish a periodic classification board, the membership of which he shall appoint. Such boards shall make recommendation to such superintendent or his deputy for a prisoner's periodic grading and classification…

Section 20B. The sheriff of any county and, in the case of women who are committed as pretrial detainees to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Framingham, the commissioner of correction, subject to rules and regulations established in accordance with this section, may …