The Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC) may transfer an inmate to another state or to a federal prison when (1) there is no suitable facility for the inmate within the Commonwealth or (2) the DOC commissioner determines that transfer is appropriate.

Upon taking custody of an inmate, corrections officers will conduct a classification (per 103 CMR 420) to see what special needs, if any, the inmate will require.

the classification process shall objectively assess the inmate’s custody requirements and programmatic needs and match those to the appropriate security level in a manner that minimizes the potential for escape, prison violence, and inmate misconduct.

103 CMR 420.06

If the inmate’s classification suggests that he has special needs which no Massachusetts facility can provide, the inmate may be transferred to an out-of-state jail or prison that better suits the circumstances.

The primary interstate agreements regulating such transfers are

  • The New England Corrections Compact (NECC),
  • The Interstate Corrections Compact, and
  • The “Federal Agreement” with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP).

DOC’s transfer policy is outlined in 103 DOC 419 Federal/Interstate Compact.