MA H4028

Establishes a special commission to study transferring the Department of Correction and Parole Board from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Commission membership includes 6 legislators, 4 executive branch officials, and 7 governor appointees representing prisoners' rights, correctional officers, mental health advocates, formerly incarcerated individuals, and criminal justice experts

Requires at least 4 public hearings in geographically diverse regions and a final report with legislative recommendations by December 31, 2026

Cites that prior to 1991, the Department of Correction operated under Health and Human Services with a rehabilitation focus on substance use disorder, mental illness, and system-involved youth

Notes that the Department of Correction currently allocates approximately 70% of its budget to labor costs and only 2% to programming for incarcerated individuals