Bill > H1257

This bill proposes to establish a "Prison Mitigation Fund" within the Commonwealth's financial system, which will be managed by the Department of Correction. This fund is specifically intended to benefit cities and towns that host facilities operated by the Department of Correction. Money will be deposited into the fund through appropriations authorized by the General Court, investment earnings, and other designated sources, and any money left in the fund at the end of a fiscal year will not be returned to the general state budget. Crucially, 100% of the money in the fund, with a minimum of $2,000,000 annually, will be distributed to these host communities. The distribution formula is based on the total amount in the fund, divided by the average daily number of prisoners across all Department of Correction facilities, and then multiplied by the average daily prisoner population housed within each specific city or town.