Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 127, § 3 (2026)

Money and property of prisoners; records; custody and return; transmission to court; interest on deposits

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 3. They shall keep a record of all money or other property found in possession of prisoners committed to such institutions, and shall be responsible to the commonwealth for the safe keeping and delivery of said property to said prisoners or their order on their discharge or at any time before. The superintendents of correctional institutions of the commonwealth and the superintendents and keepers of jails, houses of correction and of all other penal or reformatory institutions shall, upon receipt of an outstanding victim and witness assessment, transmit to the court any part or all of the monies earned or received by any inmate and held by the correctional facility, except monies derived from interest earned upon said deposits and revenues generated by the sale or purchase of goods or services to persons in correctional facilities, to satisfy the victim witness assessment ordered by a court pursuant to section eight of chapter two hundred and fifty-eight B. Any monies derived from interest earned upon the deposit of such money and revenue generated by the sale or purchase of goods or services to persons in the correctional facilities may be expended for the general welfare of all the inmates at the discretion of the superintendent.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases, 1983–2020 · leading case: Ciampi v. Comm'r of Corr., 892 N.E.2d 270 (Mass. 2008).

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Ciampi v. Comm'r of Corr., 892 N.E.2d 270 (Mass. 2008). · cites it 4× “In granting summary judgment for the plaintiff, the judge found that pursuant to G. L. c. 127, §§ 3 and 48A, the plaintiff had a protected property interest in the monies in his account.”

Vining v. Commonwealth, 828 N.E.2d 576 (Mass. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 3× “The plaintiff also argues that the judge erred in concluding that G. L. c. 127, § 3, 5 was inapplicable to the facts of this case.”

Commonwealth v. Wilson, 448 N.E.2d 1130 (Mass. 1983). · cites it 3× “” See G. L. c. 127, § 3, as amended by St. 1962, c.”

Souza v. Sheriff of Bristol Cnty., 455 Mass. 573 (Mass. 2010). “See *585 G. L. c. 127, § 3. 14 In connection with work-release programs for committed inmates of county correctional institutions, the Legislature has authorized sheriffs to make certain deductions from the inmate’s earnings.”

Pearson v. Hodgson (D. Mass. 2020). · cites it 5× “See Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 127, § 3. In 1962, the Legislature recognized that these funds could generate income, and added the provision that “[a]ny interest accruing as a result of the deposit of such money may, by agreement with the prisoners concerned, be expended for the…”

Welsh v. Dep't of Corr., 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 138 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2001). “124, §l(q), and G.L.c. 127, §§3, 48,48A, 49,96 and 162. Apart from G.”

Trapp v. Dubois, 15 Mass. L. Rptr. 615 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2003). “124, §§l(b), (c) and (q), and G.L.c. 127, §§3, 96A and 96B, the DOC is authorized to promulgate regulations, found at 103 C.”

Lachance v. Coalter, 15 Mass. L. Rptr. 757 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2003). “124, §§ 1 (b), (c) and (q) and G.L.c. 127, §§3, 96A and 96B. Supra n.1.”

Vining v. Commonwealth, 17 Mass. L. Rptr. 619 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2004). “The plaintiffs opposition points to G.L.c. 127, §3. That statute provides that superintendents of correctional institutions “shall be responsible to the Commonwealth for the safekeeping and delivery .”

LaPage v. Dennehy, 27 Mass. L. Rptr. 357 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2010). “See G.L.c. 127, §3 (’[The department] shall keep a record of all money or other property found in possession of prisoners .”

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