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 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 20, as appearing in the 1994 Official Edition, the following section:-

Section 20A. The superintendent of each correctional facility shall establish a periodic classification board, the membership of which he shall appoint. Such boards shall make recommendation to such superintendent or his deputy for a prisoner's periodic grading and classification; provided, however, that such recommendation shall be made only by a full board. No less than three members shall constitute a full board. Such classification boards shall consist of correction officers, prison camp officers, correctional counselors, unit managers, directors of classification or deputy superintendents; provided, however, that in a facility designated by the commissioner as maximum or medium security, one member shall be a correction officer and, in a facility designated by the commissioner as a community correction facility, one member shall be an employee of the department whose primary role includes security responsibilities.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the grading and classification of any prisoner at a correctional facility other than that facility to which such prisoner is currently committed if, in the commissioner's opinion, conducting such procedure at another facility is appropriate for such prisoner.

SECTION 2. The second paragraph of section 49A of said chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- The membership of said committees shall be appointed by the superintendent of each correctional facility and shall consist of correction officers, prison camp officers, correctional counselors, unit managers, directors of classification or deputy superintendents; provided, however, that, in a facility designated by the commissioner as maximum or medium security, one member shall be a correction officer and, in a facility designated by the commissioner as a community correction facility, one member shall be an employee of the department whose primary role includes security responsibilities.

SECTION 3. Said section 49A of said chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word "prison", in line 17, the following words:- ; provided, however, that such evaluation shall be made only by a full board. No less than three members shall constitute a full board.