Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1087 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2413 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1087
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	James B. Eldridge
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and WorcesterBrandy Fluker-Reid12th SuffolkChristopher J. Worrell5th SuffolkJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester2/11/2025Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/11/2025 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2413 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1087
18	18	By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1087) of James B. Eldridge,
19	19	Brandy Fluker-Reid, Christopher J. Worrell, Joanne M. Comerford and others for legislation to
20	20	abolish sentences of life without parole for individuals who committed crimes while they were
21	21	considered minors or young adults. The Judiciary.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 52 of chapter 119 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
31	31	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Punishment” the
32	32	3following definition:-
33	33	4 ‘'transformational youth'', a person: (1) who received a life sentence after being convicted
34	34	5of first- or second-degree murder and who was at least 14 years of age but younger than 21
35	35	6years of age at the time of commission of the offense, or (2) who received a life sentence or after
36	36	7being convicted of manslaughter while violating the provisions of sections 102 to 102c,
37	37	8inclusive, of chapter 266 and who was at least 14 years of age but younger than 21 years of age
38	38	9at the time of commission of the offense; provided, further that this definition shall apply
39	39	10retroactively to include a person who received a life sentence for the any of the offenses
40	40	11described above and was at least 14 years of age but younger than 21 years of age at the time of
41	41	12commission of the offense. 2 of 4
42	42	13 SECTION 2. Said section 52 of said chapter 119, as so appearing, is hereby further
43	43	14amended by inserting after the word “nineteen”, in line 28, the the following words:-
44	44	15 provided, however, that the definition of “youthful offender” shall exclude a
45	45	16“transformational youth.”
46	46	17 SECTION 3. Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
47	47	18section 133E the following section:-
48	48	19 (a) After a transformational youth has lived on parole for 3 years without committing an
49	49	20act that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor violating the law, the parole board shall issue a
50	50	21certificate of termination of sentence to said transformational youth pursuant to section 130A of
51	51	22chapter 127 within 30 days of the end of said 3 years on parole.
52	52	23 (b) Within 5 calendar days of the date on which a transformational youth has lived on
53	53	24parole for 3 years without violating the law, the transformational youth’s parole officer shall
54	54	25submit a notice of impending parole termination to the parole board’s office of the general
55	55	26counsel notifying the office that the individual transformational youth lived on parole for 3 years
56	56	27without violating the law. Within 5 calendar days of the date of receipt by the office of the
57	57	28general counsel of the parole officer’s notice of impending termination of parole for a
58	58	29transformational youth, the office of the general counsel shall provide a notice of impending
59	59	30termination of parole to the Parole Board for review and vote.
60	60	31 (c) Within 10 calendar days of the date of receipt by the Parole Board of the notice of
61	61	32impending termination of the individual transformational youth’s parole, the Parole Board shall
62	62	33vote in open session to issue a certificate of termination to the individual transformational youth 3 of 4
63	63	34pursuant to section 130A of chapter 127 if the board determines that the transformational youth
64	64	35has not committed an act that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor in the 3-year period.
65	65	36 (d) Within 5 calendar days of the Board’s vote to grant a Certificate of Termination to an
66	66	37individual transformational youth, the Board shall furnish a copy of the Certificate of
67	67	38Termination to the following: (1) the individual transformational youth; (2) the commissioner
68	68	39and the judge who imposed the sentence, in accordance with the terms of section 130A of
69	69	40chapter 127; in the event the judge who pronounced sentence is retired or deceased, a copy of the
70	70	41Certificate of Termination shall be forwarded to the Regional Administrative Justice of the
71	71	42Superior Court for the County in which the transformational youth was sentenced; and (3) all
72	72	43certified CORI petitioners and victims as enumerated in section 178A of chapter 6 and section 1
73	73	44of chapter 258B.
74	74	45 (e) If an individual transformational youth has served more than 3 years on parole
75	75	46without violating the law as of the effective date of this Act, the individual transformational
76	76	47youth’s parole officer shall, within 30 days of the effective date of this Act, submit a notice of
77	77	48impending parole termination to the office of the general counsel notifying the office of the
78	78	49general counsel that the individual transformational youth lived on parole for more than 3 years.
79	79	50Within 15 calendar days of receipt of said notice by the office of the general counsel, the office
80	80	51of the general counsel shall provide a notice of impending termination of parole to the Parole
81	81	52Board for review and vote. Within 15 calendar days of the Board’s receipt of said notice, the
82	82	53Board shall vote in open session to issue a Certificate of Termination to the transformational
83	83	54youth. Notification to all parties and individuals regarding the issuance of said Certificate of
84	84	55Termination to a transformational youth, including to the subject transformational youth, shall be
85	85	56in accordance with subsection (d). 4 of 4
86	86	57 (f) If an individual transformational youth is already on parole on the effective date of
87	87	58this Act, and has lived less than 3 years on parole on the effective date of this Act, the time that
88	88	59said transformational youth has lived on parole on the effective date of this Act shall be counted
89	89	60as constituting time lived on parole for purposes of termination of parole. The Board shall issue
90	90	61a Certificate of Termination of sentence to said transformational youth pursuant to Section 130A
91	91	62of chapter 127, and notify all parties and individuals of the Certificate of Termination of
92	92	63sentence, after the transformational youth has lived for 3 years on parole, in accordance with
93	93	64subsection (d).