1 of 1
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1102 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1706
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Patricia D. Jehlen
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1102 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1706
By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1706) of Patricia D. Jehlen for
legislation to establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities. Public
Safety and Homeland Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1533 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 17D, as
2inserted by Section 78 of Chapter 208 of the Acts of 2018, the following section:-
3 Section 17E (a) The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Oversight Committee (M-ROC) shall
4be convened to gather information regarding substance use and treatment in Massachusetts
5correctional institutions, jails and houses of correction, to track substance use trends and monitor
6treatment and recovery services including continuation of care efforts and re-entry programs and
7to determine the impact of substance use as it relates to health, rehabilitation, discipline,
8overdoses, and drug contraband involving prisoners, visitors, or staff. 2 of 4
9 (b) The oversight committee shall consist of eight members: 1 member from corrections
10appointed by the Department of Correction, 1 sheriff appointed by the sheriff’s association, 1
11prisoner appointed by the Legal Advisory Committee (LAC) at MCI-Norfolk, 1 staff member
12from the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) appointed by its director, 1 staff
13member from the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) appointed by its
14director, 1 staff member from Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) appointed by its director, 1 staff
15member from the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health appointed by its director and 1
16licensed clinician appointed by the Massachusetts Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
17Counselors (MAADAC).
18 (c) The members of the oversight committee shall be provided full and unfettered access
19to all Massachusetts state prisons and houses of corrections, and shall be allowed to interview
20prison staff and prisoners, both individually and collectively through the various prisoner-led
21organizations.
22 (d) The oversight committee shall gather information regarding:(i) Substance use trends
23and treatment, programmatic and rehabilitation needs of offenders; (ii) Effectiveness of treatment
24efforts including but not limited to continuation of care and re-entry programing; (iii) Gaps in
25treatment services; (iv) Level of offender participation and success;(v) Disciplinary procedures
26related to substance use; (vi) Overdoses; (vii) Contraband; and (viii) Other relevant information
27as identified by the oversight committee.
28 (e) The Department of Correction and all County Sheriffs Departments will provide the
29oversight committee quarterly data and statistical reports including but not limited to the
30following for each state prison, correctional institution, jail, and house of correction, covering the 3 of 4
31entire quarterly period: (i) The number and racial composition of prisoners with a history of
32Substance Use Disorder (SUD); (ii) The average waiting time before a prisoner undergoes a
33clinical assessment to diagnose and determine a treatment plan for a SUD following self-
34identification and/or entry into a prison or house of correction; (iii) The number and racial
35composition of prisoners receiving SUD treatment; (iv) The number and racial composition of
36prisoners being treated with medication only for SUD; (v) The number and racial composition of
37prisoners who requested SUD treatment and were placed on a waiting list prior to receiving
38treatment; (vi) The average wait time prisoners experience before receiving treatment services;
39(vii) The number and racial composition of prisoners denied SUD treatment after notifying the
40prison and/or house of correction staff of their need for services; (viii) The number of prisoners
41being treated for SUD and other co-occurring mental health disorder(s), broken down by the type
42of treatment being provided and the type of treatment provider (i.e. qualified addiction specialist,
43licensed social worker, volunteer program, program contractor); (ix) The number of prisoners
44with SUD diagnosed with each enumerated co-occurring mental health disorder; (x) The
45educational and specific training requirements for staff assigned to work with prisoners in SUD
46programs including: (1) The number of licensed clinicians employed in each program; (2) Staff
47to prisoner ratio; and (3) The treatment modalities used (xi) Search results of inmates, staff and
48visitors including (1) Frequency of scheduled and random inmate searches and results as entered
49into the IMS database; (2) Searches of staff members and visitors including search of the day
50results, etc. as documented in the IMS database; (3) Staff search reports reported by the Office
51of Investigative Services and/or the Office of Internal Affairs
52 (f) The oversight committee shall meet at least quarterly and shall publish a report
53compiling information gathered through parts (c), (d), and (e) of this section annually, with the 4 of 4
54first report being published within one year of the passage of this Act. The oversight committee
55shall make said report publicly available and shall deliver copies of said report to all relevant
56legislative committees.
57 (g) The report of the Rehabilitative Oversight Committee shall offer recommendations
58concerning the impact of substance use as it relates to health, rehabilitation, discipline,
59overdoses, and drug contraband. The recommendations shall include, but are not limited to: (i)
60Recommendations regarding modifications, additions, and elimination of offender treatment and
61programming; (ii) Recommendations regarding how the department and each sheriff can ensure
62that prisoners experience continuity in treatment and programming; (iii) Recommendations
63regarding how the department and each sheriff can deliver more meaningful treatment and
64programing; (iv) Recommendations regarding alternatives to disciplining prisoners for
65infractions stemming from substance use disorders; and (v) Recommendations regarding existing
66policies that seek to limit the introduction of contraband, including but not limited to visitation
67restrictions, and whether such policies are effective at reducing substance use.