Bill > H1812

This bill makes several changes to the Massachusetts Parole Board's composition and operations to promote more timely and specialized access to parole hearings. It increases the total number of Parole Board members to 12 and mandates a specific breakdown of board members for different types of hearings: 7 members will preside over life sentence hearings and 5 members will handle regular order hearings. The bill requires board members to have professional expertise in areas like forensic psychology, social services, and reentry coordination, ensuring a more nuanced approach to parole proceedings. Additionally, the bill raises the minimum age for parole eligibility from 18 to 21 years old and requires the board to conduct a public hearing for life sentence cases within 60 days before the expiration of the minimum term, with 5 of the 7 life sentence hearing board members present. The chairperson is given discretion to rotate board members for clemency and parole termination proceedings, which aims to provide more comprehensive and specialized review of parole cases.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1812