SENATE, No. 1035

By Ms. Walsh, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1035) of Marian Walsh for legislation relative to the rights of victims of crimes. The Judiciary.
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

AN ACT relative to the rights of victims of crimes

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. Section 3 of chapter 258B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “court.”, in line 45, the first time it appears, the following sentence:— Before making a sentencing recommendation, the prosecutor shall provide the victim with a summary of the classification process conducted by the department of correction or the sheriff pursuant to sections 20, 20A or 21 of chapter 127 and the Code of Massachusetts Regulations on a form prepared by the department of correction. Such form shall also state that a copy of the defendant’s mittimus, tender of plea, if reduced to writing, and docket sheet, along with the telephone number of the correctional facility where the defendant will be initially incarcerated shall be made available by the victim-witness advocate to victims of crime, or family members thereof, for the crime committed by such defendant.

SECTION 2. Said section 3 of said chapter 258B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following clause:—

(w) for victims and family members, to be provided with a copy of the defendant’s mittimus, tender of plea, if reduced to writing, and docket sheet along with the telephone number of the correctional facility where the defendant will be initially incarcerated by the victim-witness advocate. 

SECTION 3.  The provisions of this act shall be known as “Jason’s Law.”