Bill > H2063

This bill amends Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13D to establish stricter penalties specifically for assaults and batteries committed against corrections officers or other Department of Corrections staff while they are performing their official duties. Under the new provisions, if an assault causes serious bodily injury (defined as bodily injury resulting in permanent disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of a bodily function, limb, organ, or substantial risk of death), the offender would be subject to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of one year, with potential imprisonment ranging from one to ten years in state prison or one to two and a half years in a house of correction. Additionally, the bill mandates that offenders cannot receive probation, parole, work release, furlough, or sentence reductions until completing the mandatory minimum one-year imprisonment. The bill also allows for a fine between $500 and $10,000, which cannot replace the mandatory minimum prison term, and prohibits prosecutors from filing the case without a finding or suspending the sentence, thereby ensuring more severe consequences for those who assault corrections officers.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2063