Bill > S1565

This bill aims to improve the operations and management of sheriffs' offices in Massachusetts. The key provisions include: 1. Establishing a Corrections Advisory Board to provide independent advice to sheriffs, the Department of Correction, courts, and community corrections programs on best practices in corrections operations, such as accounting, human resources, inmate care and custody, rehabilitation, and re-entry. 2. Allowing the cost of meals for sheriff's department employees to be subject to collective bargaining agreements. 3. Expanding the definition of "full-time employee" for the purposes of the state retirement system to include certain deputy sheriffs engaged in civil process enforcement activities. 4. Including the offices of the sheriffs under the state's group insurance commission. 5. Defining the roles and responsibilities of the civil process offices within sheriff's departments, including the exclusive authority to perform civil process duties, the employment status of deputies and employees, and compensation limitations. 6. Requiring detailed reporting and record-keeping of all civil process fees and revenues, and establishing a dedicated civil process account to be used solely for the operation of the process office. 7. Providing additional benefits and protections for deputy sheriffs and civil process office employees injured in the line of duty. 8. Requiring constables and deputy sheriffs to file annual accounts of all civil process fees and revenues received. Finally, the bill directs the state's Human Resources Division to conduct a comprehensive assessment leading to statewide standards for classification, recruitment, promotion, compensation, and professional standards for all sheriffs' offices.