Bill > H1703

This bill establishes a new Prison Mitigation Fund to provide financial compensation to cities and towns that host Department of Correction facilities. The fund will be maintained separately from the General Fund, meaning any unspent money will not be returned to the state's general budget at the end of each fiscal year. The fund will be administered by the Department of Correction and can receive money from legislative appropriations, designated revenues, and investment income. Each fiscal year, at least $2,500,000 will be distributed to eligible municipalities using a specific calculation: the total fund amount will be divided by the average daily prisoner population across all correction facilities, then multiplied by the average daily prisoner population in each specific city or town. This approach aims to provide a proportional financial mitigation to local communities that bear the burden of housing state correctional facilities, potentially helping to offset the economic and social impacts of having a prison within their boundaries.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1703