Session Laws

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. Chapter 40 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 36B, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 36B. Each cell utilized for the detention of persons within a city, town, or state lockup facility which is under the jurisdiction of a local police department, the state police, or the metropolitan district commission police shall have a protective covering of high-impact, transparent wall facing. Such protective covering shall cover all bar structures accessible to such detained persons. Adequate ventilation shall be provided to persons detained in the cell.

At least one such cell within such lockup facility shall have installed within it, but beyond the access of any person detained within such cell, an electronic audio system whereby a police officer or other lockup personnel at the duty desk within such lockup facility is brought within audible range of such cell; provided, however, that no such electronic audio system is required to be installed if at least one such cell within such lockup facility is within audible range of the duty desk without electronic assistance.

Each such lockup facility shall have installed within the cell area an electronic security device which will record the times of cell checks by police officers or other lockup personnel. Such device shall be positioned so that a cell check cannot be recorded until the police officer or other lockup personnel has walked past such occupied cell. Each occupied cell within such a lockup facility shall be physically and visibly checked by a police officer or other lockup personnel every fifteen minutes.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect as of October first, nineteen hundred and eighty-five.