Bill > H3286

This bill establishes a special commission tasked with identifying and implementing evidence-based practices across all Massachusetts justice system agencies to improve public safety, reduce repeat offenses (recidivism), decrease incarceration and overcrowding, and lower costs. Evidence-based practices are methods proven effective through scientific research. The commission will be composed of various legislative leaders, state officials like the Attorney General and Secretary of Public Safety, and appointed experts. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the commission must select and implement scientifically validated tools to assess an individual's risk of reoffending and their specific needs at every stage of the judicial process, from arrest to reentry into the community. These assessment tools must be consistent across all agencies to ensure coordinated case management. Additionally, the commission will define the data that all justice agencies must collect, ensuring it is standardized for easy sharing and linked to the evidence-based assessments and practices. The commission will meet regularly to review this data and identify further evidence-based strategies, and will submit annual reports to relevant legislative committees on its progress.