SECTION 177.
There shall be a special commission to study the feasibility of establishing inmate fees. The commission shall consist of the secretary of public safety and security or a designee, who shall be the chair; the president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association or a designee; 2 sheriffs to be designated by the president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association, each of whom shall be from a different political party; the chief counsel of the committee for public counsel services or a designee; a correctional system union representative; and a representative from prisoners' legal services. The commission shall convene its first official meeting no later than September 1, 2010. The commission shall make a comprehensive study of the feasibility of establishing inmate fees within the correctional system of the commonwealth. The study shall include, but not be limited to, the types and amount of fees to be charged, including a daily room and board fee and medical co-pays; revenue that could be generated from the fees; the cost of administering the fees; the impact on the affected population; use of the collected fees by the respective sheriff's office; method and sources of collecting the fees; impact on the prisoner work programs; waiver of the fees for indigents; exemptions from the fees for certain medical services; and forgiveness of the balance due for good behavior.
The commission shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, and recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, who shall forward the same to the chairs of the house and senate ways and means committees and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on public safety on or before March 1, 2011.