Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 127, § 48 (2026)

Establishment and maintenance of education, training and employment programs; rules and regulations

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 48. The commissioner shall establish and maintain education, training and employment programs for persons committed to the custody of the department. The administrators of county correctional facilities shall establish and maintain such programs for persons committed to such facilities. Such programs shall include opportunities for academic education, vocational education, vocational training, other related prevocational programs and employment, and may be made available within correctional facilities or, subject to the restrictions set forth in sections forty-nine and eighty-six F, at other places approved by the commissioner or administrator. In determining which employment programs to establish and maintain under the authority of this section, the commissioner or administrator shall take into account, first, the training value of the program, second, the job market and employment conditions in the community and third, in the case of programs to be carried out within a correctional facility, the types of goods and services required by the commonwealth and its subdivisions.

The commissioner shall ensure that at least 1 educational program leading to the award of a high school equivalency certificate is available to persons who are committed to the custody of the department or to a county correctional facility for not less than 6 months and who have not obtained a high school degree or equivalency.

The commissioner shall make and promulgate rules and regulations governing programs established under this section which shall include provisions for hours, conditions of employment, wage rates for employment program participants, incentive payments for education and training program participants, and deductions from said wages pursuant to the provisions of section eighty-six F.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 11 cases, 1981–2020 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Donohue, 892 N.E.2d 718 (Mass. 2008).

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Commonwealth v. Donohue, 892 N.E.2d 718 (Mass. 2008). · cites it 12× “The judge ordered the sheriff to confine Donohue “in the House of Correction, Billerica, pending disposition of this matter, except to the extent that G. L. c. 127, §§ 48, 49 and 86F[,] expressly authorize the Sheriff to release [Donahue] ‘during necessary and reasonable hours’…”

Green v. Johnson, 513 F. Supp. 965 (D. Mass. 1981). · cites it 6× “The Sheriffs have taken the position that the delivery of special education services to inmates at their facilities is not within their responsibilities under M.G.L. c. 127 § 48. D. The Sheriffs of the Hampshire and Franklin County Houses of Correction did not apply for special…”

Ciampi v. Comm'r of Corr., 892 N.E.2d 270 (Mass. 2008). · cites it 2× “127, § 16A (authorizing commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations for reimbursement of medical expenses by persons in prerelease facilities); G. L. c. 127, § 48 (authorizing commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations for “hours, conditions of employment, wage rates .”

McGuinness v. DuBois, 891 F. Supp. 25 (D. Mass. 1995). · cites it 2× “Count VI In Count VI, MeGuinness claims that he has a “state created liberty interest,” grounded in Mass.Gen.Laws ch. 127, section 48, to reformatory and educational opportunities, and that he was unlawfully deprived of those opportunities while residing in the DDU.”

Ass'n for Reduction of Violence v. Hall, 558 F. Supp. 661 (D. Mass. 1983). · cites it 3× “They allege that the de *662 fendants, present or former officials of the Department of Corrections, have deprived them of educational programs contrary to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 127, § 48, in violation of their due process rights.”

McNeil v. Comm'r of Corr., 633 N.E.2d 399 (Mass. 1994). “First, G. L. c. 127, § 48 (1992 ed.), which provides for the establishment of “education, training and employment programs,” does so only for persons committed to the custody of the department of correction or to county “correctional facilities.”

Souza v. Sheriff of Bristol Cnty., 455 Mass. 573 (Mass. 2010). “We concluded that G. L. c. 127, §§ 48, 49, and 49A (which gave the sheriff authority and discretion to implement a variety of inmate programs outside a correctional facility), provided specific legislative authorization for the GPS program.”

Jackson v. Russo, 495 F. Supp. 2d 225 (D. Mass. 2007). · cites it 2× “At various times while incarcerated at SBCC, Jackson enrolled in the prison Barber School, a vocational training program established under the auspices of Mass. Gen. Laws c. 127, § 48. The statute authorizes the Commissioner of Correction to provide education and vocational…”

Nimblett v. Comm'r of Corr., 482 N.E.2d 1192 (Mass. App. Ct. 1985). “535, a person who is permitted to be outside the physical confines of a State correctional institution on a work-release program established under G. L. c. 127, § 48, as appearing in St. 1972, c.”

Foster v. Comm'r of Corr. (No. 1) (Mass. 2020). · cites it 4× “See G. L. c. 127, §§ 48, 49, 49A; Commonwealth v.”

Cepulonis v. Maloney, 15 Mass. L. Rptr. 683 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2003). “124, §1 and G.L.c. 127, §48. See G.L.c. 231A, §2; Henderson v.”

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