Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1706 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. 1102 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1706
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Patricia D. Jehlen
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 establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1102 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1706
18	18	By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1706) of Patricia D. Jehlen for
19	19	legislation to establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities. Public
20	20	Safety and Homeland Security.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 1533 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act establishing a commission to review substance use in correctional facilities.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 17D, as
32	32	2inserted by Section 78 of Chapter 208 of the Acts of 2018, the following section:-
33	33	3 Section 17E (a) The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Oversight Committee (M-ROC) shall
34	34	4be convened to gather information regarding substance use and treatment in Massachusetts
35	35	5correctional institutions, jails and houses of correction, to track substance use trends and monitor
36	36	6treatment and recovery services including continuation of care efforts and re-entry programs and
37	37	7to determine the impact of substance use as it relates to health, rehabilitation, discipline,
38	38	8overdoses, and drug contraband involving prisoners, visitors, or staff. 2 of 4
39	39	9 (b) The oversight committee shall consist of eight members: 1 member from corrections
40	40	10appointed by the Department of Correction, 1 sheriff appointed by the sheriff’s association, 1
41	41	11prisoner appointed by the Legal Advisory Committee (LAC) at MCI-Norfolk, 1 staff member
42	42	12from the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) appointed by its director, 1 staff
43	43	13member from the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) appointed by its
44	44	14director, 1 staff member from Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) appointed by its director, 1 staff
45	45	15member from the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health appointed by its director and 1
46	46	16licensed clinician appointed by the Massachusetts Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
47	47	17Counselors (MAADAC).
48	48	18 (c) The members of the oversight committee shall be provided full and unfettered access
49	49	19to all Massachusetts state prisons and houses of corrections, and shall be allowed to interview
50	50	20prison staff and prisoners, both individually and collectively through the various prisoner-led
51	51	21organizations.
52	52	22 (d) The oversight committee shall gather information regarding:(i) Substance use trends
53	53	23and treatment, programmatic and rehabilitation needs of offenders; (ii) Effectiveness of treatment
54	54	24efforts including but not limited to continuation of care and re-entry programing; (iii) Gaps in
55	55	25treatment services; (iv) Level of offender participation and success;(v) Disciplinary procedures
56	56	26related to substance use; (vi) Overdoses; (vii) Contraband; and (viii) Other relevant information
57	57	27as identified by the oversight committee.
58	58	28 (e) The Department of Correction and all County Sheriffs Departments will provide the
59	59	29oversight committee quarterly data and statistical reports including but not limited to the
60	60	30following for each state prison, correctional institution, jail, and house of correction, covering the 3 of 4
61	61	31entire quarterly period: (i) The number and racial composition of prisoners with a history of
62	62	32Substance Use Disorder (SUD); (ii) The average waiting time before a prisoner undergoes a
63	63	33clinical assessment to diagnose and determine a treatment plan for a SUD following self-
64	64	34identification and/or entry into a prison or house of correction; (iii) The number and racial
65	65	35composition of prisoners receiving SUD treatment; (iv) The number and racial composition of
66	66	36prisoners being treated with medication only for SUD; (v) The number and racial composition of
67	67	37prisoners who requested SUD treatment and were placed on a waiting list prior to receiving
68	68	38treatment; (vi) The average wait time prisoners experience before receiving treatment services;
69	69	39(vii) The number and racial composition of prisoners denied SUD treatment after notifying the
70	70	40prison and/or house of correction staff of their need for services; (viii) The number of prisoners
71	71	41being treated for SUD and other co-occurring mental health disorder(s), broken down by the type
72	72	42of treatment being provided and the type of treatment provider (i.e. qualified addiction specialist,
73	73	43licensed social worker, volunteer program, program contractor); (ix) The number of prisoners
74	74	44with SUD diagnosed with each enumerated co-occurring mental health disorder; (x) The
75	75	45educational and specific training requirements for staff assigned to work with prisoners in SUD
76	76	46programs including: (1) The number of licensed clinicians employed in each program; (2) Staff
77	77	47to prisoner ratio; and (3) The treatment modalities used (xi) Search results of inmates, staff and
78	78	48visitors including (1) Frequency of scheduled and random inmate searches and results as entered
79	79	49into the IMS database; (2) Searches of staff members and visitors including search of the day
80	80	50results, etc. as documented in the IMS database; (3) Staff search reports reported by the Office
81	81	51of Investigative Services and/or the Office of Internal Affairs
82	82	52 (f) The oversight committee shall meet at least quarterly and shall publish a report
83	83	53compiling information gathered through parts (c), (d), and (e) of this section annually, with the 4 of 4
84	84	54first report being published within one year of the passage of this Act. The oversight committee
85	85	55shall make said report publicly available and shall deliver copies of said report to all relevant
86	86	56legislative committees.
87	87	57 (g) The report of the Rehabilitative Oversight Committee shall offer recommendations
88	88	58concerning the impact of substance use as it relates to health, rehabilitation, discipline,
89	89	59overdoses, and drug contraband. The recommendations shall include, but are not limited to: (i)
90	90	60Recommendations regarding modifications, additions, and elimination of offender treatment and
91	91	61programming; (ii) Recommendations regarding how the department and each sheriff can ensure
92	92	62that prisoners experience continuity in treatment and programming; (iii) Recommendations
93	93	63regarding how the department and each sheriff can deliver more meaningful treatment and
94	94	64programing; (iv) Recommendations regarding alternatives to disciplining prisoners for
95	95	65infractions stemming from substance use disorders; and (v) Recommendations regarding existing
96	96	66policies that seek to limit the introduction of contraband, including but not limited to visitation
97	97	67restrictions, and whether such policies are effective at reducing substance use.