HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3227        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1559

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David M. Rogers

_________________

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 to promote public safety by improving the parole process.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/16/2015

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

8/15/2019

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/30/2015

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/4/2015

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

1/27/2015

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

2/2/2015

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

2/4/2015

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

2/2/2015

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/29/2015

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/4/2015

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/29/2015

Byron Rushing

9th Suffolk

2/3/2015

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

1/29/2015

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

1/28/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3227        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1559

By Mr. Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1559) of David M. Rogers and others relative to the parole process.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act to promote public safety by improving the parole process.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 130 of chapter 127 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 official edition, is hereby amended by:

Striking the first 6 lines prior to the words “In making this determination” and inserting in place thereof the following: There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a parole permit will be granted at a prisoner’s first date of parole eligibility and all subsequent eligibility dates. To rebut the presumption of parole release, the board must make a determination, after consideration of a risk and needs assessment, that there is a reasonable expectation that the prisoner will violate the law if he or she is released on parole and that release is incompatible with the welfare of society.

Inserting in line 23 after the words “but no longer” and prior to the words “A prisoner to whom” the following:  In the event that the board has not granted a parole permit to a prisoner serving a sentence of two or more years, said prisoner shall be released on parole upon a date six months prior to the expiration of the prisoners’ sentence unless the prisoner on that date remains subject to an unexpired minimum term during which the prisoner is not eligible for parole or the prisoner declines parole release.

SECTION 2. Section 133 of chapter 127 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting in line 6 after the words “and twenty-nine D” and before the words “Where an inmate is serving” the following: and that prisoners serving a sentence of two years or more shall be released on parole upon a date six months prior to the expiration of the prisoners sentence unless the prisoner on that date remains subject to an unexpired minimum term or the prisoner declines parole release.