MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - EVALUATION OF AREA BOARD CLASSIFICATION - INTERIM REPORT 1 - PROCESS DESCRIPTION AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• NCJ Number: 58598
• Author(s): E CHAYET
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY OF THE AREA BOARDS THAT DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF MASSACHUSETTS INMATES FOR INTERINSTITUTIONAL TRANSFER IS SUMMARIZED.

Abstract

AREA BOARDS, WHICH CONSTITUTE ONE COMPONENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION (DOC) CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, PERIODICALLY REVIEW INMATE STATUS TO DETERMINE WHO IS ELIGIBLE AND SUITABLE FOR INTERINSTITUTIONAL TRANSFER. EACH OF THE THREE DOC REGIONS ADMINISTERS ITS OWN BOARDS, WHOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE REGION'S CENTRAL OFFICE. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA BOARD PROCESS--HOW INMATES COME BEFORE THE BOARDS, CRITERIA IN BOARD DECISIONMAKING, THE DECISION REVIEW PROCEDURE, ETC.--IS PRESENTED. MAJOR FINDINGS FROM AN ANALYSIS OF 1,200 CASES APPEARING BEFORE AREA BOARDS FROM JULY 1977 THROUGH JANUARY 1978 ARE OUTLINED. IT WAS FOUND THAT 60 PERCENT OF BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS WERE FOR TRANSFERS TO LOWER CUSTODY, THAT THE CENTRAL OFFICE APPROVED 66.7 PERCENT OF BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THAT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRANSFERS TO HIGHER CUSTODY WERE MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE OVERTURNED BY THE CENTRAL OFFICE. WHEREAS BOARDS WERE AS LIKELY TO RECOMMEND MAXIMUM/MEDIUM SECURITY TRANSFERS AS MINIMUM SECURITY OR COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSFERS, CENTRAL OFFICES WERE MORE INCLINED TO RECOMMEND TRANSFERS AT THE HIGHER SECURITY LEVELS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE TRANSFER CLASSIFICATION PROCESS REQUIRED MORE TIME THAN HAD BEEN THOUGHT. PLANS FOR FURTHER STUDY OF THE AREA BOARD PROCESS ARE NOTED. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)