Bill > H4465

This bill clarifies and enhances data collection and reporting standards for Massachusetts criminal justice agencies, including the trial court, probation service, parole board, and others. The legislation establishes comprehensive requirements for tracking and reporting criminal justice data, mandating that each agency use a unique statewide identification number for individuals entering the system. The bill requires agencies to collect detailed information including offense details, demographic data, risk assessment scores, program participation, and incarceration dates. Importantly, the bill requires agencies to make anonymized cross-agency data publicly accessible through an application programming interface, and mandates the quarterly publication of recidivism rates on the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security website. The data will be tracked over 1-, 2-, and 3-year periods and categorized by race, ethnicity, gender, and age. The Justice Reinvestment Oversight Board will now meet quarterly to review agencies' compliance with these data collection and reporting standards, ensuring transparency and accuracy in criminal justice data. The board must submit an annual report to the state legislature by July 1, detailing data collection efforts and compliance with justice reinvestment policies.

Budget and Finance

Joint Committee on the Judiciary (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4465