State Representative Antonio Cabral has filed two bills this legislative session that take a direct shot at programs touted by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson.

The first bill, HD3417, would require that any inmate work programs be confined to within the borders of the Commonwealth. That would eliminate Sheriff Hodgson sending Bristol County inmates to help the federal government in the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

"To the extent that inmate work programs have value, it should be two-fold," Rep. Cabral told WBSM News. "One, it should be to integrate incarcerated individuals so that they can reintegrate into their communities as productive citizens. Second, all state dollars associated with administering these programs should be used to benefit our communities."

Rep. Cabral also said that the decision as to what programs the inmates participate in should be determined by the state, and the state legislature, and not the sheriff.

"The legislature is the one that determines those objectives, not individual officals," he said.

Rep. Cabral said there are also just too many variables when bringing prisoners out of Massachusetts.

"The ability to transport inmates across state lines, the housing of these inmates, the security of these inmates and the liability that the state would be subject to," Rep. Cabral said. "These are tremendous implications."

The second bill, HD3413, would prevent the use of state dollars in funding the partnership between law enforcement and ICE allowing law enforcement to perform the functions of federal immigration officers, known as the 287(g) program.

“Massachusetts taxpayers should not be footing the bill for the federal government’s immigration policy priorities,” Rep. Cabral said.

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