FILED ON: 9/26/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1870

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act Resolve relative to Southern Middlesex County.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

That a special commission is hereby established to conduct an investigation and study to identify and evaluate potential sites suitable for the location of a replacement jail facility in the southern portion of Middlesex county as provided in chapter 304 of the acts of 2008. The special commission shall evaluate whether these sites are appropriate to adjoin facilities to house related criminal justice functions, including courts, pre-arraignment lockup facilities and special population facilities.

The special commission shall also identify and evaluate potential sites in the southern portion of Middlesex county suitable for the placement of a correctional facility to house female pretrial detainees and female offenders sentenced to incarceration in the house of correction for 2½ years or less. The special commission shall document the needs of the communities in the vicinity of these sites and of the individuals in those communities and make recommendations relative to the most efficient and effective investment of public resources to meet all of those needs.

The special commission shall include the following officers: the Middlesex county Sheriff, or a designee, who shall chair the commission; the secretary of public safety and security, or a designee; the secretary of administration and finance, or a designee; the court administrator of the administrative office of the trial court, or a designee; the Middlesex county superior court clerk, or a designee; a Middlesex county district court clerk, or a designee, to be appointed by the Association of Magistrates and Assistant Clerks; the commissioner of capital asset management and maintenance, or a designee; the Middlesex county district attorney, or a designee; the chief counsel of the committee for public counsel services, or a designee; and the chairs of the joint committee of state administration and regulatory oversight.  Members not otherwise subject to chapter 268A of the General Laws by virtue of their public positions shall not be considered to be special state employees for purposes of said chapter 268A on account of their service on the commission.

The special commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate not later than August 1, 2014.