SENATE DOCKET, NO. 800        FILED ON: 2/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1559

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Cynthia Stone Creem

_________________

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 relative to inmate telephone calls.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Cynthia Stone Creem

First Middlesex and Norfolk

 

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

2/10/2021

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/22/2021

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

2/23/2021

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

2/24/2021

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

2/25/2021

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

3/2/2021

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

3/2/2021

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

3/2/2021

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

3/19/2021

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

4/5/2021

Sonia Chang-Diaz

Second Suffolk

4/5/2021

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

4/6/2021

Adam G. Hinds

Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden

4/26/2021

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

5/24/2021

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

5/24/2021

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

6/29/2021

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

9/8/2021

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

11/4/2021

Adam Gomez

Hampden

1/20/2022

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/16/2022


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 800        FILED ON: 2/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1559

By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1559) of Cynthia Stone Creem, Joanne M. Comerford, Thomas M. Stanley, Jack Patrick Lewis and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to inmate telephone calls.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to inmate telephone calls.

 

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

Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 87 the following section:-

Section 87A. State and local agencies charged with the operation and management of state prisons, local jails, and juvenile detention centers shall provide persons in their custody and confined in a correctional or detention facility with voice communication service free of charge. Communications shall be maximized to the extent possible. Nothing in this section shall abrogate existing law preserving in-person contact visits. Such state and local agencies may supplement voice communication service with other communication services, including, but not limited to, video communication and electronic mail services. To the extent that such voice communication service or any other communication service is provided, each such service shall be provided free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the communication.