United States Councilfor Law & Investigation
Get involved
Menu

About

Standards

Law Trackers

Disciplines

Get involved

Newsroom

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has no state certification for correction officers: the Department of Correction and the county sheriffs hire and train their own staff, and the POST Commission certifies deputy sheriffs only when they perform police duties. Since 2023 the State has made phone calls free in state prisons and county jails, capped commissary prices and banned commissary commissions, and, through the 2026 PROTECT Act, barred sheriffs’ departments from holding people on immigration detainers alone.

Sources checked
Part of
Corrections Ledger

At a glance

Certifying body
None for correction officers. The POST Commission certifies law enforcement officers under G.L. c. 6E; that definition reaches special sheriffs and deputy sheriffs only when “performing police duties and functions” (c. 6E, § 1), so jail and prison correction officers are not POST-certified as such. POST is covered on the Massachusetts Officer Ledger page. The Commissioner of Correction sets training programs for Department of Correction (DOC) employees and, by agreement, other corrections personnel (c. 124, § 1(h)); county sheriffs employ and train county correction officers.
Statute
G.L. c. 124 (Commissioner of Correction), c. 125 (definitions and facilities), c. 126 (county jails and houses of correction), and c. 127 (officers and inmates of penal institutions), including restrictive housing in c. 127, §§ 39 to 39H and pregnant inmates in c. 127, § 118 (c. 124, § 1).
Minimum standards
No statewide statutory hiring standard for correction officers was found. DOC and each sheriff set hiring standards; civil service rules may apply to some positions. DOC regulations in 103 CMR were not reviewed.
Basic training
No statute fixes basic training hours for state or county correction officers. The Commissioner may set training programs (c. 124, § 1(h)) and must adopt regulations on the training and qualifications of correction officers, supervisors, and managers assigned to restrictive housing (c. 127, § 39C). Academy hours were not verified from an official source.
In-service training
No statutory in-service hour requirement for correction officers was found. Training for restrictive housing staff is governed by the regulations required under c. 127, § 39C.
Decertification
None, because no state body certifies correction officers. POST decertification under c. 6E, § 10 applies to certified law enforcement officers, including deputy sheriffs only when performing police duties (Officer Ledger).
Jail standards
The Commissioner of Correction sets and revises minimum standards for the care and custody of everyone in county correctional facilities, after consulting the sheriffs (c. 124, § 1(d)). At least every 6 months the Commissioner or a delegate inspects each county facility, with results in the annual report to the General Court. For noncompliance, the Commissioner notifies the sheriff and county commissioners, who may be heard and get a reasonable time to fix it, with further enforcement under § 1B (c. 127, §§ 1A, 1B).
Probation and parole officers
Adult probation officers are Trial Court employees under the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, and parole officers work in the Parole Board’s field services. No statute requiring state certification or fixed training hours for either was found.
Restrictive housing
Restrictive housing may be used only for discipline or when general population poses an unacceptable risk to others, property, or operations. Units must provide meals equal to general population, showers at least 3 days a week, visits and communication (which may be cut for discipline for up to 15 days per offense in state facilities or 10 in county facilities), reading and writing materials, radio or television after 30 days, and mental health oversight. A qualified mental health professional screens before placement. People with serious mental illness, or for whom restrictive housing is clinically contraindicated, may not be held there without written certification within 72 hours. “A pregnant inmate shall not be placed in restrictive housing,” and placement may not rest on LGBTQI status. Reviews run every 72 hours, 15 days, or 90 days depending on the basis. People within 120 days of release may be held no more than 5 days absent a substantial and immediate threat. Monthly and quarterly public reports go to the Restrictive Housing Oversight Committee (c. 127, §§ 39 to 39F).
Corrections use of force
In the second and third trimesters and in post-delivery recuperation, a pregnant or postpartum inmate may be transported only in a vehicle with seatbelts and only with handcuffs in front. No restraints at any stage of labor or delivery, including transport. No restraints in post-delivery recuperation except in extraordinary circumstances (an immediate and serious threat or a credible escape risk that cannot otherwise be curtailed). Leg and waist restraints may never be used, and the correction officer must document the reasons and the restraints used. An officer present for exams, labor, or childbirth should be female if possible (c. 127, § 118). No general corrections use-of-force statute was found.

Changes, 2023 to 2026

  • PROTECT Act: sheriffs’ departments may not hold people on immigration detainers alone; 287(g) agreements limited

    St. 2026, c. 163, § 7, adding G.L. c. 147, § 64Approved August 5, 2026 (emergency preamble); § 7 takes effect 30 days after the act (§ 24): September 4, 2026 (computed)

    “Law enforcement agency” includes a sheriff’s department, and “officer” includes any officer or employee. Except as federal or state law requires, under a judicial warrant, court order, or treaty, or (for resource use, information sharing, and transfers to immigration custody) as allowed by a 287(g) or other valid intergovernmental service agreement, agencies and officers may not use state or local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement; may not knowingly give federal immigration authorities nonpublic personal information, custody status, court dates, or advance release notice; may not question people for civil immigration enforcement; may not “detain or continue to detain an individual based solely on an immigration detainer beyond the time the individual would otherwise be eligible for release from custody”; and may not transfer a person into immigration custody without a judicial warrant or court order. Release notice at the end of a sentence is allowed for listed violent, sex, serious drug, firearm, and abuse offenses, only on a written request naming the person within the prior 30 days and with written authorization of the on-duty officer in charge. No agency may execute, renew, or materially expand a 287(g) agreement for civil immigration enforcement; the Department of Correction may keep the agreement it had in effect on June 8, 2020, but must apply to the Governor to renew or expand it (§ 64(c)(1)). Notwithstanding that bar, an agency, including a sheriff’s department, may apply to the Governor for a time-limited 287(g) agreement limited to criminal law, with no enforcement of Title 8 of the U.S. Code. Approval requires a written determination after notice and comment and a legal analysis by the Attorney General; the agreement lasts no more than 12 months and requires quarterly reports (§ 64(c)(2)). The Officer Ledger entry covers the act’s other sections.

    For corrections staff: Do not extend custody for an ICE detainer, and share custody or release information with ICE only within the act’s exceptions and with the on-duty officer in charge’s written approval.

    St. 2026, c. 163

  • Commissary price caps and a ban on commissary commissions

    St. 2023, c. 28 (FY2024 budget), § 51, adding G.L. c. 127, § 171; amended by St. 2024, c. 140 (FY2025 budget), §§ 134 and 135§ 171 effective July 1, 2024 (c. 28, § 112); the 95% cap effective October 31, 2024 (c. 140, § 249)

    Section 171 took effect July 1, 2024 with a cap of 3% over purchase cost for commissary items in state prisons, state and county correctional facilities, and their contractors. DOC and the sheriffs must maximize bulk-purchase discounts and may not receive commissions, revenue, or other financial incentives from commissary contracts, and commissary must include gender-affirming items (consistent with c. 127, § 32A) and culturally appropriate items. The FY2025 budget replaced the 3% cap: from October 31, 2024, DOC, the facilities, and their sellers, suppliers, and vendors may charge no more than 95% of the market price at non-correctional major retail stores in Massachusetts.

    For corrections staff: Commissary and business-office staff must price against the retail benchmark and may not accept vendor commissions.

    G.L. c. 127, § 171 St. 2023, c. 28 St. 2024, c. 140

  • Free phone calls for everyone held in state prisons and county jails

    St. 2023, c. 64, inserting G.L. c. 127, § 87AApproved November 15, 2023; § 87A effective December 1, 2023 (§ 3)

    DOC and the sheriffs must provide voice communication services, including phone calls, free to both parties for anyone committed to a state prison or county correctional facility, including jails and houses of correction. Services must be maximized and may not fall below what was offered on July 1, 2023. Video and other electronic services may supplement calls but not replace them, and must also be free. The section does not prohibit in-person contact visits. Commissions on communications contracts go to the General Fund.

    For corrections staff: Facilities may not cut phone access below July 2023 levels or replace voice calls with video or electronic messaging.

    St. 2023, c. 64 G.L. c. 127, § 87A

Enacted, not yet in force, pending, and bills that did not pass

  • Legal access in correctional facilities (from November 3, 2026, computed): St. 2026, c. 163, § 6 inserts G.L. c. 127, § 87B for every state prison, county correctional facility, house of correction, and prerelease center. It requires written intake notice of the right to counsel and to decline interviews by law enforcement or consular officials; confidential, unmonitored attorney phone calls; a verified-counsel line allowing at least 1 confidential inbound call a day, or a callback within 24 hours; free video conferencing for legal meetings; and an electronic custody record updated within 6 hours of intake. It takes effect 90 days after the act (§ 23). St. 2026, c. 163

Not enacted: S.1723 (194th General Court), to create a correctional officer accountability and standards training commission that would certify and decertify correction officers of DOC, houses of correction, and jails. It was referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and later accompanied a study order (S.2798). S.1723

The c. 163 dates are computed from the August 5, 2026 approval and §§ 23 and 24; no official notice of them was found. Only one bill search was run (correction officer certification, 194th session), and restrictive housing bills were not searched.

Checked and unchanged

  • G.L. c. 6E, § 1 (deputy sheriffs certified only when performing police duties); c. 124, § 1(d), (h), (m); c. 127, §§ 1A, 1B, 39 to 39F, and 118: checked against the posted text; no 2023 to 2026 change credited.
  • Not counted: St. 2024, c. 140, § 133 removed MCI Concord from the c. 125, § 1 facility list after its closure; its effective date was not confirmed. St. 2023, c. 28, § 50 also inserted a § 87A into c. 127; how it relates to c. 64 was not reconciled.
  • Limits: enacted session laws were reviewed by title, plus the FY2024 to FY2027 budgets and selected omnibus acts, for amendments to c. 6E and cc. 124 to 127; other changes inside omnibus acts may have been missed. DOC regulations (103 CMR) were not reviewed.

Bills in the legislature

Bills in the current session whose title concerns corrections officers, jails, probation and parole, and conditions of confinement, found automatically in LegiScan's copy of the legislature's records and refreshed daily (last on October 21, 2026). This list is not reviewed by an editor and is not a summary of the bills; each links to the legislature's own page, which controls. Bills that become law are added to the dated entries above once checked.

The law, section by section

Every section of the statutes and rules this page relies on that could be read from an official source, 258 in all, each linked to the official text. Headings are copied from the official tables of contents, checked October 21, 2026.

Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 124: Powers and Duties of the Department of CorrectionStatute · 8 sections

Official text current through malegislature.gov General Laws (the site calls itself an unofficial version and shows no currency date), read 2026-10-21. Full chapter. Repealed entries (3, 4, 7) omitted. M.G.L. c. 124, official text

Chapter 124: POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION

  • 1 Powers and duties of commissioner of correction
  • 2 Deputy commissioners; duties
  • 5 Reports to governor
  • 6 Annual reports to general court
  • 6A Report on the use of facilities of the department of corrections and of sheriff's offices
  • 8 Reports of criminal cases by clerks of courts
  • 9 Monthly reports of arrests
  • 10 Corporate status of department for purpose of grants, gifts or bequests; site selection for new facilities; title to property
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 125: Correctional Institutions of the CommonwealthStatute · 21 sections

Official text current through malegislature.gov General Laws (the site calls itself an unofficial version and shows no currency date), read 2026-10-21. Full chapter. Repealed entries (none) omitted. M.G.L. c. 125, official text

Chapter 125: CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

  • 1 Definitions
  • 2 Superintendents and deputies of correctional institutions; appointment; bond
  • 3 Officers and employees of institutions; appointment; duties of correction officer or correctional program officer
  • 4 Certification of persons eligible for appointment
  • 5 Vacancy in office of superintendent; acting superintendent; bond; compensation
  • 6 Treasurers; appointment; bond; duties
  • 7 Suggestions for alterations in commissioner's rules
  • 8 Uniforms
  • 9 Training academy for officers; appointment of trainees; provisional and permanent appointment as officers; probationary period; tenure and benefits; restriction
  • 10 Oaths of officers; administration
  • 11 Maintenance of correctional institutions; expenses in maintaining United States prisoners
  • 12 Holding prisoners in accordance with sentences or orders of courts; personal property; receipt
  • 13 Officers of correctional institutions
  • 14 Superintendent; powers and duties
  • 15 Superintendent and deputies; residences
  • 16 Female prisoners; commitment to designated facilities; alcohol treatment facility; separate awaiting trial unit
  • 17 Burial of female prisoners
  • 18 Bridgewater state hospital; medical director
  • 19 Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Bridgewater; commitment; alcoholism
  • 20 Contracts on account of correctional institutions; suits; referees
  • 21 Bills for supplies and services
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 126: Jails, Houses of Correction and Reformation, and County Industrial FarmsStatute · 38 sections

Official text current through malegislature.gov General Laws (the site calls itself an unofficial version and shows no currency date), read 2026-10-21. Full chapter. Repealed entries (13 to 15, 19, 20) omitted. M.G.L. c. 126, official text

Chapter 126: JAILS, HOUSES OF CORRECTION AND REFORMATION, AND COUNTY INDUSTRIAL FARMS

  • 1 County commissioners; inspection of prisons; duties
  • 2 Exhibition of prison books, documents and accounts; examination of prison officers
  • 3 Violation of laws relative to prisons; notice
  • 4 Jails; purposes
  • 5 Confinement
  • 6 Reimbursement of sheriff for damages for escape
  • 7 Return of list of prisoners to superior court
  • 8 Establishment of houses of correction
  • 8A Superintendents
  • 9 Houses of correction yards; fences
  • 9A Uniforms
  • 10 Execution of sentence
  • 11 Rules for the management of house of correction; examination of accounts; records
  • 12 Sheriff's report to superior court
  • 16 Custody and control of jails and houses of correction; jailer; assistants; bond
  • 17 Rent from jailers and keepers of houses of correction
  • 18 Compensation and duties of officers and assistants
  • 18A Injuries to jail or house of correction employees; compensation
  • 21 Abstract of mittimus upon commitment of female
  • 22 Burial of deceased prisoners
  • 23 Delivery of prisoners to sheriff's successor
  • 24 Death of sheriff; temporary custody and control of jail; bond
  • 25 Care of jail or house of correction
  • 26 Removal of prisoners in case of disease
  • 27 Removal of prisoners in case of danger from fire or bombing
  • 28 Supplies for jails and houses of correction
  • 29 Expense of keeping and maintaining convicts
  • 30 Advances for expenses
  • 31 Application for advance expenses; approval
  • 32 Account of expenditures
  • 33 Fuel, bedding and clothing for prisoners
  • 34 Direction to furnish specific rations; conformance thereto
  • 35 County industrial farms; acquisition, reclamation, improvement and sale of land
  • 36 Erection of temporary buildings on county industrial farm; management
  • 37 Removal of prisoners to industrial farms; custody
  • 38 Borrowing money to meet expenses; bonds or notes
  • 39 Payment of loan
  • 40 Recording and reporting of data on population of jails and houses of correction
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 127: Officers and Inmates of Penal and Reformatory Institutions. Paroles and PardonsStatute · 191 sections

Official text current through malegislature.gov General Laws (the site calls itself an unofficial version and shows no currency date), read 2026-10-21. Full chapter. Repealed entries (4, 11, 15, 24, 26, 31, 34, 35, 40to41, 42 to 47, 50, 59, 62 to 65, 67A, 70, 74 to 77, 78 to 82, 85, 86, 86A to 86C, 86D, 86E, 91, 95, 96, 98 to 108, 109, 109A to 111, 112, 114, 122, 129, 129A, 132, 136A, 137, 137A to 139, 140, 141, 147, 154A, 159) omitted. M.G.L. c. 127, official text

Chapter 127: OFFICERS AND INMATES OF PENAL AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTIONS. PAROLES AND PARDONS

  • 1 Definitions
  • 1A County correctional facilities; minimum standards; financial or other assistance
  • 1B Inspection of county correctional facilities; compliance with minimum standards; report; notice of violations; enforcement procedure
  • 2 Duty of superintendents to keep records
  • 3 Money and property of prisoners; records; custody and return; transmission to court; interest on deposits
  • 5 Calendar of prisoners; contents
  • 6 Service of process in penal or reformatory institutions
  • 7 Warrants, mittimuses and processes; contents; filing
  • 8 Prison books; contents; accessibility
  • 9 Invoice books; contents
  • 10 Annual report to commissioner of correction
  • 12 Removal of unfaithful or incompetent officers or employees
  • 13 Removal of incompetent jailers or keepers of houses of correction
  • 14 Removal of officers using intoxicating liquor to excess
  • 16 Physical examination of inmates; communicable diseases; examination for substance abuse disorder
  • 16A Reimbursement of medical expenses by persons incarcerated in pre-release facilities
  • 17 Specifications governing physical examinations; records; statements
  • 17A Residential treatment units and secure treatment units for the treatment of mentally ill inmates in need of mental health services; mental health training for department of correction staff
  • 17B Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder for state detainees or prisoners at certain facilities
  • 17C Re-entry treatment plan for state detainee or prisoner requiring treatment for opioid use disorder
  • 17D Reporting of costs and outcomes of medication-assisted treatment programs and re-entry treatment plans under Secs. 17B and 17C
  • 18 Failure to comply with Secs. 16 and 17; penalty
  • 19 Physical training of prisoners; director
  • 20 Reception center; classification of prisoners; approval
  • 20A Prisoner classification board
  • 20B Pretrial diversion program for certain detainees; classification system; eligibility requirements; credits and other deductions from sentence
  • 21 Classification of prisoners in jails and houses of correction; approval
  • 22 Separation of prisoners
  • 23 Identification of prisoners
  • 25 Fugitives from justice
  • 27 District attorney to furnish criminal history
  • 28 Descriptions, fingerprints and criminal history; records
  • 29 Publication of records; exhibition of records
  • 30 Compensation to officers; reimbursement
  • 32 Treatment of prisoners
  • 32A Treatment of prisoner having gender identity differing from prisoner's sex assigned at birth
  • 33 Maintenance of order in institutions; enforcement of obedience
  • 36 Visits to jails or correctional institutions; permission
  • 36A Conferences with attorneys
  • 36B Conferences with clergy members
  • 36C In-person visitation of inmates
  • 37 Record of visitors
  • 38 Use of gags
  • 38A Holding officers and employees as hostages
  • 38B Assaults upon guards; bodily substances; penalty
  • 38C Felonies in correctional institutions; notice to district attorney
  • 38D Notice of transfer of prisoner convicted of offense against officer, guard or correctional institution employee
  • 38E Inmate complaints; grievance system; grievance resolution
  • 38F Exhaustion of administrative remedies under Sec. 38E; court consideration of inmate claims; exceptions
  • 38G Disposition of court actions pending upon effectiveness of regulations promulgated under Sec. 38E
  • 38H Judicial review of final decision on grievance
  • 39 Restrictive housing; use authorized; conditions of confinement; mental health screening and evaluation; promulgation of clinical standard
  • 39A Restrictive housing; prohibitions on placement of certain prisoners in restrictive housing
  • 39B Restrictive housing; placement reviews
  • 39C Restrictive housing; training and qualification of correction officers, supervisors and managers
  • 39D Restrictive housing; reporting and publication of information relating to prisoners held in restrictive housing
  • 39E Restrictive housing; access to vocational, educational and rehabilitative programs
  • 39F Restrictive housing; placement of inmate with anticipated release date of less than 120 days; reentry programming for prisoners held in restrictive housing with less than 180 days until release date
  • 39G Restrictive housing; restrictive housing oversight committee
  • 39H Restrictive housing; promulgation of regulations implementing Secs. 39 to 39H
  • 48 Establishment and maintenance of education, training and employment programs; rules and regulations
  • 48A System of compensation; graduated scale; credits; appropriations
  • 48B Establishment of young adult correctional units or designation of correctional officers for the exclusive supervision of young adults placed in care of department or house of correction
  • 49 Participation of inmates in education, training and employment programs outside correctional facilities; eligibility; sentence credit; rules and regulations; escape, punishment; public employment; labor dispute restriction
  • 49A Evaluation of inmates for participation in education, training and employment programs outside correctional facilities; committees; recommendation
  • 49B Participation of prisoners in work programs at mental health, developmental services and public health facilities; restrictions
  • 49C Employment of prisoners of county correctional institutions on municipal properties within county
  • 51 Establishment and maintenance of industries in correctional institutions; contracts for labor
  • 52 Supervisors and instructors; authority; removal
  • 53 Production of articles by prisoners
  • 54 Annual meetings for determination of styles, designs and qualities of articles to be produced by prisoners; expenses
  • 55 List of styles, designs and qualities of articles; arbitration of differences
  • 56 Annual estimates of articles and materials needed in public offices
  • 57 Lists of prison-made articles; requisitions from counties, municipalities and public institutions
  • 58 Prices of prison-made articles
  • 60 Noncompliance with sections relative to purchase of articles
  • 61 Establishment of industries
  • 66 Purchase of tools and materials for correctional institutions; approval
  • 66A Purchase of tools and materials for jails and houses of correction; approval
  • 67 Sale of prison-made goods; proceeds
  • 68 Appointment of selling agents; removal
  • 69 Report relative to labor of prisoners
  • 71 Receipts from sale of products, services, or labor of committed offenders; disposition
  • 72 Payment of salaries and bills for tools, machinery and materials; schedules
  • 73 Suits on contracts by and against principal officers; arbitration
  • 83 Outdoor labor of inmates
  • 83A Establishment of camp for male prisoners for reforestation; approval; hearing.
  • 83B Removal of prisoners to camp; permit to be at liberty; escape
  • 83C Escapes from prison camp
  • 83D Director of prison camps; offices and positions; appointments; duties
  • 83E Establishment of camps for prisoners prior to release on parole; transfer; training for release
  • 84 Purchases or lease of land for improvement by prison labor; payment to county
  • 86F Work release programs
  • 86G Work release programs; Suffolk county
  • 86H Public speaking engagements; inmates of state correctional facilities
  • 86I Public speaking engagements; inmates of county correctional facilities
  • 87 Correspondence of inmates
  • 87A State correctional facility, state prison or county correctional facility; voice communication services
  • 88 Religious services
  • 89 Maintenance of sabbath schools and schools for instruction
  • 90 Appropriations for religious instruction and services
  • 90A Temporary release of committed offenders
  • 92 Instruction in jails and houses of correction
  • 92A General education development tests; age requirement; no fee
  • 93 Appropriations for moral and religious instruction in jails and houses of correction
  • 94 Light for reading
  • 96A Disposition of unclaimed money of former prisoners; claim
  • 96B Disposition of unclaimed property of former prisoners; sale; proceeds
  • 97 Transfers from and to correctional institutions; approval
  • 97A Transfer of state prisoners to federal institutions; reciprocal agreements
  • 97B Treaties; transfer of prisoners to other countries
  • 111A Removal of defective delinquents
  • 113 Removal of prisoners convicted and sentenced by United States Court
  • 115 Removal of prisoners from one jail to another by sheriff
  • 116 Application of original sentence of prisoner removed or returned
  • 117 Placement in hospital or medical facility for medical, dental, or similar professional treatment
  • 117A Temporary placement of prisoners in hospital or medical facility
  • 118 Pregnant and postpartum inmates; standards of care; use of restraints
  • 119 Hospital confinement as term of sentence
  • 119A Release of prisoner on medical parole due to terminal illness or permanent incapacitation; petition; written decision; conditions of parole; appeal; rules and regulations; report
  • 120 Order of removal; transfer of mittimuses and processes with prisoner
  • 121 Execution of order of removal
  • 123 Expense of removal
  • 124 Expense of support of prisoner transferred from correctional institution to jail or house of correction
  • 125 Expense of support of prisoner transferred from one county to another
  • 126 Expense of support of prisoner removed from jail or house of correction to Massachusetts Correctional Institution
  • 127 Special state police officers; powers and duties
  • 128 Issuance of parole permits
  • 129B Confinement while awaiting trial; reduction of sentence
  • 129C Confinement in prison camp; deduction of sentence for good conduct
  • 129D Good conduct deductions for participation in and completion of certain programs and activities
  • 130 Granting of parole permits; record of decision; jurisdiction of parole board over parolee; terms and conditions including payment of child support due under support order; certificate of termination of sentence; alcohol and drug free housing requirement
  • 130A Issuance of certificate of termination of sentence
  • 130B Parole permits issued for remainder of sentence reduced by good conduct deductions; terms and conditions of parole; information to be provided to parole board
  • 130C Compliance credits to reduce period of time parolee subject to jurisdiction of parole board; rescission of credits
  • 131 Giving of parolee written copy of terms and conditions of parole
  • 131A Notice to state and local police of terms and conditions of parole permits
  • 133 Granting of parole permits by board; eligibility and requisites
  • 133A Eligibility for parole; notice and hearing; parole permits; revision of terms and conditions; revocation; arrest; right to counsel and funds for expert
  • 133B Parole of prisoners declared to be habitual criminals; conditions; revision; revocation
  • 133C Representation of deceased victims at hearing by family members
  • 133D Community parole supervision for life
  • 133E Victims of violent crime or sex offenses; certification by department of criminal justice information services; testimony at parole hearing
  • 133D1/2 Global positioning system device to be worn by certain sex offender parolees
  • 134 Appearance before parole board; investigation and hearing by staff members; reports; sentences served in other states
  • 135 Furnishing information to parole board; filing information; statement; contents; availability; duty of clerk of court and probation officer
  • 136 Initiating release of prisoner; hearing; submission of further information to board; contents of reports
  • 142 Permits to be at liberty or discharge of pregnant females
  • 143 Discharge of common nightwalker from house of correction
  • 144 Discharge of prisoner committed for non-payment of fine
  • 145 Confinement of persons for non-payment of money owed
  • 146 Report of confinement of poor prisoners; discharge; guardianship
  • 148 Revocation of permit to be at liberty
  • 149 Arrest for violation of permit; application of terms of original sentence; computation of period of confinement
  • 149A Temporary custody of parolees; warrant
  • 150 Expiration of term on Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday
  • 151 Temporary care of infirm or diseased prisoner in institution after expiration of sentence; transfer to hospital
  • 151A Compacts with other states relative to the supervision of adult offenders; purpose
  • 151B Definitions
  • 151C Interstate commission for adult offender supervision; composition; voting; executive committee
  • 151D Chairman of parole board as compact administrator and state commissioner; appointment of state council
  • 151E Interstate commission; powers and duties
  • 151F By-laws; election of chairperson and executive director; corporate books and records; civil liabilities
  • 151G Actions taken by interstate commission; meetings; voting; records
  • 151H Rulemaking; authority and procedure
  • 151I Enforcement; dispute resolution
  • 151J Payment of expenses; annual assessment
  • 151K Eligibility of compacting states; effect of compact upon adoption by other states; amendments
  • 151L Withdrawal by compacting state; default on obligation or responsibility under compact
  • 151M Severability; construction
  • 151N Effect on other laws; binding effect of interstate commission actions; advisory opinions; limitations on authority
  • 152 Pardons by governor; petition; advisory board; hearing; revocation of pardon; annual list
  • 153 Notification to attorney general of petition for pardon of state prisoner
  • 154 Parole board as advisory board of pardons; powers and duties
  • 155 Violation of pardon; arrest; notice
  • 156 Confinement for unexpired term; computation of confinement; discharge
  • 157 Execution of warrant of pardon; return
  • 158 Parole board agents; duties
  • 160 Expenditures for assistance of released prisoners
  • 161 Account of expenditures by parole board agents
  • 162 Expenditure of institutional funds for welfare of released prisoners
  • 162A Arsonists or violators of Secs. 102 to 102C of chapter 266; notice of release
  • 163 Annual report of agents for aiding discharged prisoners
  • 164 County commissioners; aid to prisoners
  • 165 Expenditures by superintendent or keeper of jail in aid of discharged prisoners
  • 166 Payment or receipt of money for obtaining pardon, parole, commutation of or respite from sentence
  • 167 Persons representing applicants for pardons, parole or commutation of sentence; statements
  • 168 Violation of Sec. 166 or 167
  • 169 Copy of Secs. 166 to 169; printing on petition for pardon forms
  • 170 Recording, storage and retention of audio from parole board hearings
  • 171 Commissary items in state correctional facilities, state prisons, county correctional facilities and entities contracting with such facilities

Not listed: G.L. c. 6E (POST Commission), cited by the page for certification and listed in the Officer Ledger library. No regulations are listed: the page cites no CMR chapter for corrections.

USCLI's source monitor re-reads the 15 official sources cited on this page around the clock; 0 answered unchanged at their latest check.

Last updated October 21, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & InvestigationCite as: United States Council for Law & Investigation, “Massachusetts corrections law: Corrections Ledger,” uscli.org/corrections-tracker/massachusetts (last updated October 21, 2026). Text licensed CC BY 4.0.