Improving Operations at the Massachusetts Treatment Center

SECTION 28.   Section 104 of chapter 150 of the acts of 1990 is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:

For purposes of this section, the phrase "separate and apart" shall mean that persons committed or awaiting commitment as sexually dangerous persons, as defined by section 1 of chapter 123A of the General Laws, shall be housed separately from inmates who are not civilly committed as sexually dangerous persons; but all such persons may commingle in common areas of the treatment center, including but not limited to the dining room, the general and law libraries, the gymnasium and the recreation yard, and may participate together in sex offender treatment and other therapeutic, rehabilitational, academic education, vocational education, vocational training, and other related prevocational and employment programs at the discretion of the department of correction. The commissioner of correction shall adopt policies and procedures for the management of the treatment center population consistent with public safety and the security and operational needs of the department of correction.
 
 

Summary:
This section allows civilly committed persons to mingle with sentenced prisoners at the Treatment Center for purposes of programs and recreation, but requires separate housing of these populations.