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How Are Inmate Records in Massachusetts Created and Stored?

Massachusetts inmate records are created by local police, county Sheriff's Offices, and correctional institutions as the prisoners move through the justice system. The first entry is a RAP sheet that is filled out by the arresting officer. It includes the person's name, address, phone number, physical description, and details about their crime. This form is most often accompanied by a mug shot as well. Then as the inmate is moved to a new facility or attends a hearing or trial, the files get updated. Inmate records are maintained and stored by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections . They provide access to a central database of all the inmates so that friends, family, and the general public can perform an inmate search any time of day or night.

What Does Massachusetts’s Prison System Look Like?

The Massachusetts prison system is well-organized with various types of facilities and programs to punish and rehabilitate offenders while also keeping the state residents safe. They also have programs to help avoid recidivism through reentry programs, services, and centers for released inmates who need help. The prison system in Massachusetts includes:

• Reentry programs, facilities, and services

Types of Jails and Prisons in Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts has sixteen state prisons. Each houses a different demographic and has specific levels of custody. The Massachusetts Department of Corrections oversees each of these facilities along with the reentry programs and services. The Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS) oversees the six regional juvenile detention centers that house and educate youth offenders. The state also has one federal prison holding inmates who have violated federal laws. Many counties in Massachusetts also have county jails to hold suspects awaiting trial.

How Many People are Locked up in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts’s prison system holds 9,403 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 9,036 residents are held in state prisons, 4 in federal prisons, and 363 in local jails.

Massachusetts State Prisons

The state of Massachusetts has sixteen state prisons. Each serves a different demographic and has various custody levels. A couple of facilities also offer mental health and substance abuse treatment. The list of prison facilities in Massachusetts are:

• Boston Pre-Release Center.
• Bridgewater State Hospital.
• Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Correctional Unit.
• MASAC at Plymouth.
• MCI-Cedar Junction.
• MCI-Concord.
• MCI-Framingham.
• MCI-Norfolk.
• MCI-Shirley.
• Massachusetts Treatment Center.
• North Central Correctional Institution.
• Northeastern Correctional Center.
• Old Colony Correctional Center.
• Pondville Correctional Center.
• South Middlesex Correctional Center.
• Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.

Massachusetts Federal Prisons

Massachusetts has only one federal prison which holds inmates who committed federal offenses while in Massachusetts. The facility is called Devens FMC and is located in Ayer, Massachusetts. It is an "administrative security federal medical center with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp" that holds 1,110 male inmates. This facility is run and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FOB).

Massachusetts County Jails

Massachusetts has fourteen county jails, and these jails are operated and managed by local county Sheriff's Offices. Local jails hold pretrial detainees and inmates who have been sentenced to short-term stays for their punishment. Many of the local Sheriff's Offices and police stations have their own websites with information. The list of county Sheriff's Offices and jails in Massachusetts are:

• Barnstable County Sheriff's Office.
• Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.
• Bristol County Jail and House of Correction.
• Dukes County Jail and House of Correction.
• Essex County Correctional Facility & Sheriff's Headquarters.
• Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
• Hampden County Jail and House of Correction.
• Hampshire County Sheriff's Office.
• Middlesex Jail & House of Correction.
• Nantucket County Sheriff's Department.
• Norfolk County Sheriff's Department.
• Plymouth County Sheriff's Department.
• Suffolk County Sheriff's Department.
• Worcester County Jail and House of Correction.

Massachusetts Juvenile Detention Centers

The Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS) is the agency in charge of all youth detention centers in the state. These facilities hold youth offenders under the age of 18. They provide education, rehabilitation, victim services, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services. The juvenile detention facilities in Massachusetts include:

• DYS Central Office.
• DYS Central Regional Office.
• DYS Metro Regional Office.
• DYS Northeast Regional Office.
• DYS Southeast Regional Office.
• DYS Western Regional Office.

Why are People Incarcerated in Massachusetts?

There are about 22,000 people incarcerated in the state of Massachusetts. Ninety-nine hundred of them are in state prison, and almost as many are in local jails. Only 2,100 are in federal prison, and 430 are in juvenile detention. Another 300 are in mental institutions receiving treatment. More than half of all inmates in Massachusetts committed crimes against people and only 7% against property. More than 70% have violence components to their crimes. Sixteen percent were sex offenses, which is more than the 14% that were drug-related.

Massachusetts’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Massachusetts’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 156, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 65%. The number of Massachusetts prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 9,403, from which 6% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 8,820 in 2016.

Where Do Massachusetts Inmates Go When They are Released?

Inmates released from Massachusetts prisons and jails will go home to family or friends. Although Massachusetts has a healthy parole and probation program, they do not have any reentry facilities to hold inmates while they transition back into society. The state does, however, offer resources and services for reentry for inmates who have already been released to help with things like finding employment and housing, drug or alcohol issues, and mental health treatment. They also offer programs to help with parenting classes, anger management, and education.

How Does Parole Work in Massachusetts?

The Massachusetts parole board reviews each inmate's progress, and when they feel a prisoner is rehabilitated and not a danger to society, they may release them early before finishing their sentence. When this happens, the inmate is given a list of stipulations they must comply with. If the inmate does not check in regularly with their parole officer or violates any of the other rules, they will return to prison to finish out their sentences.

Parole Population

How Does Someone Get Probation in Massachusetts?

Probation is a supervisory program where a Massachusetts judge can order probation instead of prison. This privilege is most often given to first-time or low-risk offenders. Again, these individuals do have to comply with a list of court-ordered rules. If they fail to meet with the probation officer or complete any of the other terms of their probation, it will be revoked, and they will immediately go to prison.

Probation Statistics