Scope and Content: The commission was created by St 2012, c 165, to examine and streamline operation and management of the Commonwealth’s county registries of deeds, including expansion of use of technology and possible consolidation of all registries under the state secretary’s office, already responsible for registries from counties where county government had been discontinued. The fourteen members included representatives of the Senate, House of Representatives, and registers (i.e., registrars) of deeds, gubernatorial designees, and a designee of the state secretary, Assistant Secretary of the Commonwealth Michael Maresco, who chaired the group. The commission met from April through December of 2013, including public hearings in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, after which a final report was submitted to three relevant joint legislative committees of the General Court..
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts St 1987, c 541, s 4 designated the Dept. of Public Health as the state radiation control agency (MGLA c 111, s 5N). The Radiation Control Program, so-called, is currently placed under the department’s Bureau of Environmental Health, although legislatively the bureau’s functions are essentially those outlined as being part of the Bureau of Environmental Sanitation in the Dept. of Environmental Protection (MGLA c 21a, s 8) (see: Division of Environmental Health. Agency history record ((M-Ar)EN6.21)). The Radiation Control Program  (RCP) protects the health and safety of the residents of the Commonwealth from the harmful effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. RCP staff address a range of issues associated with radioactive materials including the regulation of specific radioactive sources, x-ray technology, nuclear medicine, mammography, professional training and licensure for radiologic technologists, laser registration, and more. The Nuclear Incident Advisory Team (NIAT) routinely participates in exercises to evaluate emergency plans to address nuclear power plant events.  RCP staff also work with other Bureau of Environmental Health programs to carry out environmental monitoring activities and with local boards of health to regulate conditions related to the use of UV light in tanning facilities.
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Scope and Content: The Division of Administrative Law Appeals was established within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance as the Division of Hearings (or Hearing) Officers by St 1973, c 1229 and acquired its present name under St 1983, c 683.
Arrangement: Arranged by final numeric element of docket number
Notes: Case file contents may predate series dates, i.e., of appeal decision-related materials
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Scope and Content: The Commissioners on Public Lands were established in 1861 to oversee Boston Harbor and Back Bay lands.  In 1863 they assumed full responsibility for the maintenance and care of the Mill Dam (now Beacon Street) and the roads and bridges connecting to it.  Receipts were maintained by the commissioners to provide a record of funds received and disbursed in the course of carrying out these responsibilities.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year
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Scope and Content: Under successive authorizations, the Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands (1783-1801) and the Land Office were the agencies with responsibility for the management and sale of public lands in Maine on behalf of the Commonwealth.  In performing these activities they took in and expeanded monies.  These files provide the back-up documentation for much of the business undertaken.  Throughout these files are found an assortment of bills, receipts, and statements of expenditures relating to the purchase of services and/or sale of real estate by the various agencies.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to: Massachusetts. Commissioners of Public Lands. Receipts ((M-Ar)1074X)
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Scope and Content: The Metropolitan District Commission (1894-1896) was established to investigate the advisability of establishing a general government for the city of Boston and surrounding cities and towns.  The commission created the journal of its expenses and receipts as a chronological record of the use of its appropriation.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Four pages (September 1894-April 1895) were cut from volume
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Scope and Content: Bridgewater, Mass., was the site successively of a State Almshouse (1854-1872) for so-called willing and needlessly dependent paupers, and the State Workhouse (1866-1887), for paupers convicted of misdemeanors as well as paupers generally (from 1872), and incorrigible juveniles (1869-1948). The State Workhouse was renamed the State Farm (1887-1955), which also included a State Farm Hospital for the medical needs of all inmates, as well as locals and poor admitted solely for medical treatment. The change in name was in deference to the admission of insane male paupers (1886), although it was followed by the admission of aged and physically or mentally infirm inmates of the State Prison (1890). Insane admissions were then limited for a time to criminals (1894), forming a division called the State Asylum for Insane Criminals (1895), which was renamed Bridgewater State Hospital (1909). Units at Bridgewater were later added for female prisoners (1909-1930), so-called defective delinquents (males from 1922, females 1926-1954)–mentally impaired inmates requiring segregation from standard inmate or institutionalized populations–and for drug and alcohol addicts (from 1922, females to 1930 only), eventually mostly voluntary admissions. All Bridgewater State Farm facilities and divisions (including prison, almshouse, insane, and medical hospital functions) were administered by a common superintendent. The running of the State Farm, including industries and extensive agricultural operations, relied on work performed by all capable inmates.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by inmate
Notes: Box (1)  A-D. Box (2)  E-L. Box (3)  L-P. Box (4)  Q-Z. Inmate cash. Box (5)  Inebriates and drug addicts, including voluntary admissions
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Scope and Content: The Reformatory Prison for Women was opened in Sherborn in 1877.  It was renamed the Reformatory for Women by St 1911, c 181, and because of a redrawn boundary line its fuller designation was changed from the Reformatory for Women at Sherborn to the Reformatory for Women at Framingham by St 1932, c 180, s 24.  Under St 1955, c 770 it received its current name, the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Framingham.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Spine title: Re-commitments
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Scope and Content: The State Prison was opened in 1805 at Charlestown, Boston, as a successor to the prison on Castle Island.  During 1878-1884 the prison was closed and inmates kept at Concord.  With that exception, Charlestown remained the state prison until replaced by Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Walpole, 1955-1956.
Arrangement: Arranged by number of times convicted, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Arranged by number of times convicted, thereunder chronologically
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Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date/time of recordation
Restrictions: Restricted as fragile; access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: Volumes numbered 1-111, 113, 115-193.  Volumes 112 (Jan.-July 1868) and 114 (Jan.-Mar. 1769) either lost or destroyed, probably when the registry was moved to Dedham in 1776.  In 1983, volumes 1-14 (1629-1687) ms. volumes reported missing; recovered 2003.  For printed version see above. Volumes 3-4, 7-8, 11-12, 13-14 boxed in pairs. Deposited in Archives by Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, Jan. 4, 1999; by Massachusetts Registry of Deeds, Suffolk District: volumes 1-12, Nov. 19, 2003, v. 13-14, Dec. 17, 2003. (Per St 1999, c 127, s 53, the registry passed to the general superintendence of the state secretary as of Sept. 1, 1998, and its staff became employees of the secretary effective July 1, 1999.)
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