Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 127, § 2

The superintendents of correctional institutions of the commonwealth and the superintendents and keepers of jails, houses of correction and of all other penal or reformatory institutions shall keep full and accurate records of all prisoners committed thereto, maintained therein or discharged therefrom. Systems operated by the department of criminal justice information services, pursuant to sections one hundred and sixty-seven to one hundred and seventy-eight, inclusive, of chapter six,  1 may be used for such record-keeping purposes provided that such records remain subject to the regulations of said board.