General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 127 Officers and Inmates of Penal and Reformatory Institutions. Paroles and Pardons

• Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions - Chapter 127, Section 1
  As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— “Commissioner”, the commissioner of correction. “Parole...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County correctional facilities; minimum standards; financial or other assistance - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Inspection of county correctional facilities; compliance with minimum standards; report; notice of violations; enforcement procedure - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duty of superintendents to keep records - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Money and property of prisoners; records; custody and return; transmission to court; interest on deposits - Chapter 127, Section 3
  They shall keep a record of all money or other property found in possession of prisoners committed to such institutions, and shall be responsible to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Records of punishment by isolation - Chapter 127, Section 4
  They shall keep a record of the name and number or other sufficient designation of every person punished by isolation, the day and hour when...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Calendar of prisoners; contents - Chapter 127, Section 5
  The jailer, keeper or superintendent of each jail and house of correction shall keep in a bound book or an electronic computer database an exact...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Service of process in penal or reformatory institutions - Chapter 127, Section 6
  All process to be served within the precincts of any penal or reformatory institution shall be directed to and served by the superintendent, superintendent or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Warrants, mittimuses and processes; contents; filing - Chapter 127, Section 7
  All warrants, mittimuses, processes and other official papers by which a prisoner is committed or released, or attested copies thereof, shall contain a detailed statement...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prison books; contents; accessibility - Chapter 127, Section 8
  Each jailer and superintendent of a house of correction shall have a prison book, in which he shall keep an account of the value of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Invoice books; contents - Chapter 127, Section 9
  The keeper, superintendent or other officer having charge of a jail, house of correction, county training school or other county public institution shall keep an...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Annual report to commissioner of correction - Chapter 127, Section 10
  Annually, on or before August fifteenth, the sheriffs, county commissioners and the penal institutions commissioner of Boston, shall make a report to the commissioner of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 11
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of unfaithful or incompetent officers or employees - Chapter 127, Section 12
  Any officer or employee in any correctional institution of the commonwealth who is unfaithful or incompetent, or uses intoxicating liquor to excess, shall be forthwith...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of incompetent jailers or keepers of houses of correction - Chapter 127, Section 13
  The jailer, superintendent or keeper of a jail or house of correction, except in Suffolk county, may be removed by the superior court for neglect...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of officers using intoxicating liquor to excess - Chapter 127, Section 14
  The sheriffs of the several counties and the penal institutions commissioner of Boston may remove any officer appointed by them, respectively, to any position of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 15
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Physical examination of inmates; communicable diseases - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reimbursement of medical expenses by persons incarcerated in pre-release facilities - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Specifications governing physical examinations; records; statements - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to comply with Secs. 16 and 17; penalty - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Physical training of prisoners; director - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Classification of prisoners; approval - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prisoner classification board - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Pretrial diversion program for certain detainees; classification system; eligibility requirements; credits and other deductions from sentence - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Classification of prisoners in jails and houses of correction; approval - Chapter 127, Section 21
  The sheriffs and the penal institutions commissioner of Boston may so classify prisoners sentenced and committed to jails and houses of correction, with reference to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Separation of prisoners; minors - Chapter 127, Section 22
  Male and female prisoners shall not be put or kept in the same room in a jail or house of correction; nor, unless the crowded...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Identification of prisoners - Chapter 127, Section 23
  The officer in charge of a penal institution to which a person is committed under a sentence of imprisonment for any crime shall, unless the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec. 10 - Chapter 127, Section 24
  Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fugitives from justice - Chapter 127, Section 25
  Whenever the officer in charge of a prison, lockup or other place of detention has received a request from any authority, either by circular or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec. 10 - Chapter 127, Section 26
  Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - District attorney to furnish criminal history - Chapter 127, Section 27
  The district attorney who prosecuted such prisoners as are described in section twenty-three shall forward to the department of correction the criminal history of each...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Descriptions, fingerprints and criminal history; records - Chapter 127, Section 28
  The superintendents of the correctional institutions of the commonwealth and the keepers of jails and houses of correction shall keep a record of the descriptions...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Publication of records; exhibition of records - Chapter 127, Section 29
  The record required by the preceding section shall not be published except so far as may be necessary for the identification of persons convicted of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation to officers; reimbursement - Chapter 127, Section 30
  No compensation shall be allowed to an officer for the performance of any services required by sections twenty-three to twenty-nine, inclusive, but he shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec. 10 - Chapter 127, Section 31
  Repealed, 1931, 350, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Treatment of prisoners - Chapter 127, Section 32
  The superintendents of the institutions under the supervision of the department of correction shall treat the prisoners with the kindness which their obedience, industry and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Maintenance of order in institutions; enforcement of obedience - Chapter 127, Section 33
  The superintendents of all institutions under the jurisdiction of the department of correction and the superintendents and keepers of jails and houses of correction shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 34 35
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Visits to jails or correctional institutions; permission - Chapter 127, Section 36
  No person except the governor, a member of the governor’s council, a member of the general court, a justice of the supreme judicial, superior or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Conferences with attorneys - Chapter 127, Section 36A
  The superintendent shall not abridge the right of an inmate of any correctional or penal institution in the commonwealth to confer with any attorney at...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Conferences with clergy members - Chapter 127, Section 36B
  The superintendent shall not abridge the right of an inmate of any correctional or penal institution in the commonwealth to confer with any accredited member...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Record of visitors - Chapter 127, Section 37
  The superintendent of each correctional institution shall cause a record to be kept of the names and residences of all visitors, which record shall always...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of gags - Chapter 127, Section 38
  Punishment by the use of the gag shall not be allowed in any penal, reformatory or charitable institution. An officer of any such institution who...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Holding officers and employees as hostages - Chapter 127, Section 38A
  Any prisoner in any penal or reformatory institution who holds any officer or employee of such institution or any other person as a hostage shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Assaults upon guards; bodily substances; penalty - Chapter 127, Section 38B
  (a) For the purposes of this section, “bodily substance” shall mean any human secretion, discharge or emission including, but not limited to, blood, saliva, mucous,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Felonies in correctional institutions; notice to district attorney - Chapter 127, Section 38C
  Whenever the superintendent of a correctional institution of the commonwealth determines that a felony has been committed therein, he shall forthwith notify the district attorney...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notice of transfer of prisoner convicted of offense against officer, guard or correctional institution employee - Chapter 127, Section 38D
  At the request of any correction officer, guard or other employee of any jail, house of correction or correctional institution, the commissioner, sheriffs or their...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Inmate complaints; grievance system; grievance resolution - Chapter 127, Section 38E
  (a) The commissioner shall promulgate regulations to establish a fair, impartial, speedy and effective system for the resolution of grievances filed against the department, its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Exhaustion of administrative remedies under Sec. 38E; court consideration of inmate claims; exceptions - Chapter 127, Section 38F
  An inmate shall not file any claim that may be the subject of a grievance under section 38E unless the inmate has exhausted the administrative...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Disposition of court actions pending upon effectiveness of regulations promulgated under Sec. 38E - Chapter 127, Section 38G
  Any claim that may be the subject of a grievance under the provisions of section 38E which is pending in any court when the regulations...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Judicial review of final decision on grievance - Chapter 127, Section 38H
  A final decision with respect to a grievance shall be subject to judicial review in accordance with section 14 of chapter 30A, in the superior...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Segregated units; facilities; examinations - Chapter 127, Section 39
  At the request of the superintendent of any correctional institution of the commonwealth, the commissioner may authorize the transfer, for such period as he may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Confinement to isolation unit in correctional institutions - Chapter 127, Section 40
  For the enforcement of discipline, an inmate in any correctional institution of the commonwealth may, at the discretion of its superintendent, be confined, for a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Confinement to isolation unit in jails or houses of correction - Chapter 127, Section 41
  The superintendent or keeper of a jail or house of correction may set aside in such jail or house of correction one or more cells...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 42 to 47
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Establishment and maintenance; rules and regulations - Chapter 127, Section 48
  The commissioner shall establish and maintain education, training and employment programs for persons committed to the custody of the department. The administrators of county correctional...
• Massachusetts General Laws - System of compensation; graduated scale; credits; appropriations - Chapter 127, Section 48A
  Subject to appropriation from the General Fund, the commissioner shall establish a system of compensation for inmates of the correctional institutions of the commonwealth who...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Participation of inmates in programs outside correctional facilities; eligibility; sentence credit; rules and regulations; escape, punishment; public employment; labor dispute restriction - Chapter 127, Section 49
  The commissioner of correction, or the administrator of a county correctional facility, subject to rules and regulations established in accordance with the provisions of this...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Evaluation of inmates for participation in programs outside correctional facilities; committees; recommendation - Chapter 127, Section 49A
  Before any inmate may be considered for participation in education, training, or employment programs established under section forty-eight outside a correctional facility, or in any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Participation of prisoners in work programs at mental health, developmental services and public health facilities; restrictions - Chapter 127, Section 49B
  Prisoners in state correctional institutions, except prisoners who are housed in the maximum security section at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction, may, in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Employment of prisoners of county correctional institutions on municipal properties within county - Chapter 127, Section 49C
  Prisoners in county correctional institutions may, in the custody of an officer, be eligible to provide services for municipalities within the county, including the care...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 50
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Establishment and maintenance of industries in correctional institutions; contracts for labor - Chapter 127, Section 51
  The commissioner, and the superintendents of the correctional institutions of the commonwealth, keepers or superintendents of jails and houses of correction, shall determine the industries...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Supervisors and instructors; authority; removal - Chapter 127, Section 52
  Supervisors and instructors to instruct the prisoners in industries determined upon in accordance with section fifty-one of chapter one hundred and twenty-seven in the correctional...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Production of articles by prisoners - Chapter 127, Section 53
  The commissioner shall, so far as possible, cause such articles and materials as are used in the offices, departments or institutions of the commonwealth and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Annual meetings for determination of styles, designs and qualities of articles to be produced by prisoners; expenses - Chapter 127, Section 54
  For the purpose of determining the styles, designs and qualities of articles and materials to be made by the labor of prisoners for use in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - List of styles, designs and qualities of articles; arbitration of differences - Chapter 127, Section 55
  Annually in September the commissioner shall issue to the officers in charge of the offices, departments and institutions named in section fifty-three a descriptive list...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Annual estimates of articles and materials needed in public offices - Chapter 127, Section 56
  Annually in November the officers in charge of all offices, departments and institutions named in section fifty-three shall send to the commissioner an estimate of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lists of prison-made articles; requisitions from counties, municipalities and public institutions - Chapter 127, Section 57
  Annually in January the commissioner shall send to the comptroller, to the auditing and disbursing officers of the several counties, and to the auditor and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prices of prison-made articles - Chapter 127, Section 58
  The price of all articles and materials supplied by the prisons to the commonwealth, counties, cities and towns shall conform as nearly as may be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 59
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Noncompliance with sections relative to purchase of articles - Chapter 127, Section 60
  Any officer who wilfully refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of this chapter relative to the purchase of articles and materials from the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Establishment of industries - Chapter 127, Section 61
  The commissioner shall endeavor to establish in all institutions under his jurisdiction such industries as will enable prisoners employed therein to learn valuable trades.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 62 to 65
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchase of tools and materials for correctional institutions; approval - Chapter 127, Section 66
  Subject to appropriation from the General Fund, the tools, implements and materials required for use in manufacturing in any of the correctional institutions of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchase of tools and materials for jails and houses of correction; approval - Chapter 127, Section 66A
  The tools, implements and material required for use in manufacturing in any jails or houses of correction, and such necessary machinery to replace any which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sale of prison-made goods; proceeds - Chapter 127, Section 67
  Goods manufactured in any of the institutions named in section fifty-one shall, with the approval of the commissioner, be sold by the superintendent of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec. 14 - Chapter 127, Section 67A
  Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appointment of selling agents; removal - Chapter 127, Section 68
  In the correctional institutions of the commonwealth the commissioner, and in jails and houses of correction the superintendent or keeper, with the approval of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Report relative to labor of prisoners - Chapter 127, Section 69
  The superintendent or keeper of each institution named in section fifty-one shall make a full report to the commissioner relative to the labor of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 70
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Receipts from sale of products, services, or labor of committed offenders; disposition - Chapter 127, Section 71
  At least once each month all money received from the sale of products, by-products, or services of committed offenders shall be credited on the books...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Payment of salaries and bills for tools, machinery and materials; schedules - Chapter 127, Section 72
  Subject to appropriation, the bills for tools, implements, machinery and materials purchased for, and the salaries of persons employed in, the correctional institutions of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Suits on contracts by and against principal officers; arbitration - Chapter 127, Section 73
  The superintendent or keeper of any institution named in section fifty-one may sue or be sued upon any contract of purchase or sale made by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 74 to 77
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec. 19 - Chapter 127, Section 78 to 82
  Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Outdoor labor of inmates - Chapter 127, Section 83
  During all times when outdoor labor is practicable, inmates of penal institutions required to labor shall be employed, so far as is possible, in the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Establishment of camp for male prisoners for reforestation; approval; hearing. - Chapter 127, Section 83A
  The commissioner is hereby authorized to establish, on land under the control of the department of environmental management or of the metropolitan district commission and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of prisoners to camp; permit to be at liberty; escape - Chapter 127, Section 83B
  The commissioner may remove to any camp so established any prisoner held in a correctional institution of the commonwealth except the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Framingham,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Escapes from prison camp - Chapter 127, Section 83C
  A prisoner who escapes or attempts to escape from any prison camp or from land adjacent thereto or from the custody of the officer thereof...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Director of prison camps; offices and positions; appointments; duties - Chapter 127, Section 83D
  The commissioner shall appoint a director of prison camps and such other prison camp officers as he shall deem necessary. All offices and positions in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Establishment of camps for prisoners prior to release on parole; transfer; training for release - Chapter 127, Section 83E
  The commissioner is hereby authorized to establish, on land under the control of the department of environmental management and upon sites approved by the commissioner...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchases or lease of land for improvement by prison labor; payment to county - Chapter 127, Section 84
  The county commissioners of any county may purchase or lease land, with funds specifically appropriated therefor by the general court, for the purpose of improving...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec. 17 - Chapter 127, Section 85 86
  Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1971, 1076, Sec. 8 - Chapter 127, Section 86A to 86C
  Repealed, 1971, 1076, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec. 17 - Chapter 127, Section 86D 86E
  Repealed, 1972, 777, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Work release programs - Chapter 127, Section 86F
  The sheriff of any county, except the sheriff of Suffolk county, may establish a work release program under which persons sentenced to the house of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Work release programs; Suffolk county - Chapter 127, Section 86G
  In Suffolk county the penal institutions commissioner of Boston shall have the same powers and duties with respect to the house of correction at Deer...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public speaking engagements; inmates of state correctional facilities - Chapter 127, Section 86H
  The commissioner of correction may permit an inmate to leave a state correctional facility to address a public gathering, provided that the commissioner receives a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public speaking engagements; inmates of county correctional facilities - Chapter 127, Section 86I
  The administrator of a county correctional facility may permit an inmate to leave such facility in order to address a public gathering, provided that the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Correspondence of inmates - Chapter 127, Section 87
  (a) Every inmate of a correctional institution or any other penal institution in the commonwealth shall be allowed to send mail to the President or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Religious services - Chapter 127, Section 88
  An inmate of any prison or other place of confinement shall not be denied the free exercise of his religious belief and the liberty of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Maintenance of sabbath schools and schools for instruction - Chapter 127, Section 89
  The superintendent of any correctional institution of the commonwealth, with the consent of the commissioner, may cause a sabbath school to be maintained in the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appropriations for religious instruction and services - Chapter 127, Section 90
  The department or officers having charge of any prison or other place of confinement shall include as a separate item in their annual requests for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Temporary release of committed offenders - Chapter 127, Section 90A
  The commissioner may extend the limits of the place of confinement of a committed offender at any state correctional facility by authorizing such committed offender...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 91
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Instruction in jails and houses of correction - Chapter 127, Section 92
  The county commissioners may include, among the items requested to be appropriated for their respective counties, an amount to cover the expenses of furnishing instruction...
• Massachusetts General Laws - General education development tests; age requirement; no fee - Chapter 127, Section 92A
  The department of education shall permit an inmate of a correctional institution of the commonwealth who is eighteen years of age or over to take...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appropriations for moral and religious instruction in jails and houses of correction - Chapter 127, Section 93
  The keeper or superintendent of a jail or house of correction shall in his statement of his requirements submitted to the county commissioners under section...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Light for reading - Chapter 127, Section 94
  In the assignment of cells to prisoners in a house of correction, due regard shall be had to the accommodation of those who are able...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1958, 588, Sec. 1 - Chapter 127, Section 95 96
  Repealed, 1958, 588, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Disposition of unclaimed money of former prisoners; claim - Chapter 127, Section 96A
  So much of any funds as represent monies belonging to, or deposited for the benefit of, inmates who have died or have been discharged or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Disposition of unclaimed property of former prisoners; sale; proceeds - Chapter 127, Section 96B
  Property belonging to, or deposited for the benefit of, former inmates of any correctional institution of the commonwealth, which shall have remained unclaimed for more...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transfers from and to correctional institutions; approval - Chapter 127, Section 97
  The commissioner may transfer any sentenced prisoner from one correctional institution of the commonwealth to another, and with the approval of the sheriff of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transfer of state prisoners to federal institutions; reciprocal agreements - Chapter 127, Section 97A
  The commissioner may, with the approval of the appropriate officials of the federal government, transfer any prisoner sentenced to state prison to any available or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Treaties; transfer of prisoners to other countries - Chapter 127, Section 97B
  If a treaty in effect between the United States and a foreign country provides for the transfer or exchange of a prisoner to the country...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 98 to 108
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec. 21 - Chapter 127, Section 109
  Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 109A to 111
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of defective delinquents - Chapter 127, Section 111A
  He may remove any person committed to a department for defective delinquents established at any institution under the department of correction under section one hundred...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1931, 426, Sec. 30 - Chapter 127, Section 112
  Repealed, 1931, 426, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of prisoners convicted and sentenced by United States Court - Chapter 127, Section 113
  The commissioner may remove from one jail or house of correction to another, or to any correctional institution of the commonwealth a prisoner convicted and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 114
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of prisoners from one jail to another by sheriff - Chapter 127, Section 115
  The sheriff in any county, except Suffolk, may remove prisoners from one jail to another or from a jail to a house of correction or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application of original sentence of prisoner removed or returned - Chapter 127, Section 116
  A prisoner who is removed or returned under any provision of sections ninety-seven to one hundred and fifteen, inclusive, shall be held in the place...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Medical, dental, or similar professional treatment - Chapter 127, Section 117
  Whenever the physician of any state correctional facility certifies that any prisoner held therein requires medical, dental or other similar professional treatment which cannot safely...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Temporary placement of prisoners in hospital or medical facility - Chapter 127, Section 117A
  Whenever the physician of any jail or house of correction certifies that any prisoner held therein requires medical, dental or other similar professional treatment which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Pregnant females - Chapter 127, Section 118
  [ Text of section effective until May 15, 2014. For text effective May 15, 2014, see below.] Whenever it appears that a female confined in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Hospital confinement as term of sentence - Chapter 127, Section 119
  Any prisoner placed in a hospital or medical facility under section one hundred and seventeen, one hundred and seventeen A or one hundred and eighteen...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Order of removal; transfer of mittimuses and processes with prisoner - Chapter 127, Section 120
  Every order of removal of the commissioner shall be signed by him or his designee and shall be directed to the officer by whom it...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Execution of order of removal - Chapter 127, Section 121
  An officer authorized to serve criminal process may execute an order of removal or return issued under this chapter.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1983, 721, Sec. 3 - Chapter 127, Section 122
  Repealed, 1983, 721, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expense of removal - Chapter 127, Section 123
  The expense of removing a prisoner from one jail or house of correction to another shall be paid by the county from which he is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expense of support of prisoner transferred from correctional institution to jail or house of correction - Chapter 127, Section 124
  The expense of supporting a prisoner transferred from a correctional institution of the commonwealth to a jail or house of correction shall be paid by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expense of support of prisoner transferred from one county to another - Chapter 127, Section 125
  The expense of supporting a prisoner transferred from a jail or house of correction in one county to another, removed from the Massachusetts Correctional Institution,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expense of support of prisoner removed from jail or house of correction to Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Chapter 127, Section 126
  The expense of supporting a prisoner removed from a jail or house of correction to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Bridgewater shall be paid to the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Special state police officers; powers and duties - Chapter 127, Section 127
  The governor, upon the written recommendation of the commissioner or the chairman of the parole board, may appoint any employee of the department of correction...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Issuance of parole permits - Chapter 127, Section 128
  Subject to other provisions of law, parole permits, in this chapter also referred to as permits to be at liberty, may be granted by the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 432, Sec. 10 - Chapter 127, Section 129
  Repealed, 1993, 432, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1989, 307 - Chapter 127, Section 129A
  Repealed, 1989,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Confinement while awaiting trial; reduction of sentence - Chapter 127, Section 129B
  The sentence of any prisoner in any correctional institution of the commonwealth or in any house of correction or jail, who was held in custody...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Confinement in prison camp; deduction of sentence for good conduct - Chapter 127, Section 129C
  For the satisfactory conduct of a prisoner confined in a prison camp, the commissioner may grant, in addition to the deductions of sentence provided under...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Work, educational, vocational training and rehabilitation programs; deduction of sentence for good conduct; reduction of good conduct credit for abuse of judicial process - Chapter 127, Section 129D
  For the satisfactory conduct of a prisoner while confined at a correctional institution of the commonwealth, or any jail or house of correction, but working...
• Massachusetts General Laws - 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 - Chapter 127, Section 130
  No prisoner shall be granted a parole permit merely as a reward for good conduct. Permits shall be granted only if the board is of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Issuance of certificate of termination of sentence - Chapter 127, Section 130A
  The parole board may, by a majority vote of all of the members, issue to a parolee under its supervision a certificate of termination of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Giving of parolee written copy of terms and conditions of parole - Chapter 127, Section 131
  The parole board shall, in releasing a prisoner on parole, specify in writing the terms and conditions of his parole, and a copy of such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notice to state and local police of terms and conditions of parole permits - Chapter 127, Section 131A
  Not less than twenty-four hours prior to the effective date of any parole permit the parole board shall notify in writing the department of state...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 132
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Granting of parole permits by board; eligibility and requisites - Chapter 127, Section 133
  Parole permits may be granted by the parole board to prisoners subject to its jurisdiction at such time as the board in each case may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eligibility for parole; notice and hearing; parole permits; revision of terms and conditions; revocation; arrest - Chapter 127, Section 133A
  Every prisoner who is serving a sentence for life in a correctional institution of the commonwealth, except prisoners confined to the hospital at the Massachusetts...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Parole of prisoners declared to be habitual criminals; conditions; revision; revocation - Chapter 127, Section 133B
  The parole board shall, within 60 days before the expiration of two-thirds of the maximum sentence of a prisoner sentenced under section 25 of chapter...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Representation of deceased victims at hearing by family members - Chapter 127, Section 133C
  The family members of a deceased victim may represent the victim at any parole hearing for a prisoner serving a sentence for a crime which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Community parole supervision for life - Chapter 127, Section 133D
  (a) A person upon whom a sentence of community parole supervision for life has been imposed under section 45 of chapter 265 shall be subject...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Global positioning system device to be worn by certain sex offender parolees - Chapter 127, Section 133D1/2
  Any person under court ordered parole supervision or under community parole supervision for life for any offense listed within the definition of “sex offense”, a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Victims of violent crime or sex offenses; certification by department of criminal justice information services; testimony at parole hearing - Chapter 127, Section 133E
  Victims, and parents or legal guardians of minor victims, of a violent crime or a sex offense for which a sentence was imposed, who have...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appearance before board; investigation and hearing by staff members; reports; sentences served in other states - Chapter 127, Section 134
  (a) In the case of an inmate committed to a correctional institution of the commonwealth, no parole permit shall be granted by the parole board...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Furnishing information to parole board; filing information; statement; contents; availability; duty of clerk of court and probation officer - Chapter 127, Section 135
  The commissioner or the jailer, superintendent or keeper of a jail or house of correction shall furnish to the parole board all information in his...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Initiating release of prisoner; hearing; submission of further information to board; contents of reports - Chapter 127, Section 136
  No application for release on parole of a prisoner made by him or on his behalf shall be entertained by the parole board, but such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1971, 1076, Sec. 8 - Chapter 127, Section 136A
  Repealed, 1971, 1076, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec. 22 - Chapter 127, Section 137
  Repealed, 1941, 344, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1941, 690, Sec. 2 - Chapter 127, Section 137A to 139
  Repealed, 1941, 690, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1980, 155, Sec. 4 - Chapter 127, Section 140 141
  Repealed, 1980, 155, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Permits to be at liberty or discharge of pregnant females - Chapter 127, Section 142
  Whenever, in the opinion of the physician of any prison or other place of confinement in which is imprisoned a woman who is about to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discharge of common nightwalker from house of correction - Chapter 127, Section 143
  The county commissioners, or, in Boston, the penal institutions commissioner, subject to the approval of a justice of the court which imposed the sentence, after...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discharge of prisoner committed for non-payment of fine - Chapter 127, Section 144
  A prisoner confined in a prison or place of confinement for non-payment of a fine or a fine and expenses shall be given a credit...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discharge of poor persons from jails - Chapter 127, Section 145
  Justices of district courts shall discharge from jail persons confined for the nonpayment of fine, or of fine and expenses, if they are of opinion...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Report of confinement of poor prisoners; discharge; guardianship - Chapter 127, Section 146
  If a poor prisoner has been confined in a jail or house of correction for one month under one or more sentences for fine or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1965, 772 - Chapter 127, Section 147
  Repealed, 1965,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Revocation of permit - Chapter 127, Section 148
  The parole board may revoke a permit to be at liberty at any time prior to its expiration.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Arrest for violation of permit; application of terms of original sentence; computation of period of confinement - Chapter 127, Section 149
  If a permit to be at liberty has been revoked, the parole board may order the arrest of the holder of such permit by any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Temporary custody of parolees; warrant - Chapter 127, Section 149A
  If a parole officer believes that a parolee has lapsed or is about to lapse into criminal ways or has associated or is about to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expiration of term on Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday - Chapter 127, Section 150
  A prisoner whose term expires on Saturday, Sunday or on a legal holiday shall be discharged on the preceding day.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Temporary care of infirm or diseased prisoner in institution after expiration of sentence; transfer to hospital - 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compacts with other states relative to the supervision of adult offenders; purpose - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions - Chapter 127, 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”,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Interstate commission for adult offender supervision; composition; voting; executive committee - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Chairman of parole board as compact administrator and state commissioner; appointment of state council - Chapter 127, 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....
• Massachusetts General Laws - Interstate commission; powers and duties - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - By-laws; election of chairperson and executive director; corporate books and records; civil liabilities - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Actions taken by interstate commission; meetings; voting; records - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rulemaking; authority and procedure - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Enforcement; dispute resolution - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Payment of expenses; annual assessment - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eligibility of compacting states; effect of compact upon adoption by other states; amendments - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Withdrawal by compacting state; default on obligation or responsibility under compact - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Severability; construction - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Effect on other laws; binding effect of interstate commission actions; advisory opinions; limitations on authority - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Pardons by governor; petition; advisory board; hearing; revocation of pardon; annual list - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notification to attorney general of petition for pardon of state prisoner - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Parole board as advisory board of pardons; powers and duties - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1965, 766, Sec. 2 - Chapter 127, Section 154A
  Repealed, 1965, 766, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violation of pardon; arrest; notice - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Confinement for unexpired term; computation of confinement; discharge - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Execution of warrant of pardon; return - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Parole board agents; duties - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec. 122 - Chapter 127, Section 159
  Repealed, 1955, 770, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expenditures for assistance of released prisoners - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Account of expenditures by parole board agents - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expenditure of institutional funds for welfare of released prisoners - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Arsonists or violators of Secs. 102 to 102C of chapter 266; notice of release - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Annual report of agents for aiding discharged prisoners - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County commissioners; aid to prisoners - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expenditures by superintendent or keeper of jail in aid of discharged prisoners - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Payment or receipt of money for obtaining pardon, parole, commutation of or respite from sentence - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Persons representing applicants for pardons, parole or commutation of sentence; statements - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violation of Sec. 166 or 167 - Chapter 127, 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...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Copy of Secs. 166 to 169; printing on petition for pardon forms - Chapter 127, 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,...

Last modified: September 11, 2015