The Massachusetts Sheriffs Association has introduced a report for Fiscal Year 2024 that outlines the services, goods, fees, and trust fund balances associated with the fourteen Sheriffs' Offices. By January 30, 2025, the association is required to provide a detailed overview to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, which will include information on services provided to incarcerated individuals, associated fees, methods of informing inmates about these fees and waiver opportunities, and a comprehensive account of commissary and trust funds, including revenues and expenditures for FY24, as well as projections for FY25 and FY26.
The report includes new provisions, such as the establishment of a commissary account for the Sheriff's Office to manage commissions from inmate phone systems and commissary services. It details the fees for various services, including phone calls and commissary items, with some fees being waived or adjusted over time. The bill emphasizes transparency in informing inmates about incurred fees and their options for waiving charges, while also managing funds from public and private contributions in compliance with legal requirements. Additionally, it notes the absence of inmates in certain counties, indicating no applicable services or goods to report, and provides a comprehensive list of account balances for each sheriff's office as of FY24.