Massachusetts General Laws Part IV. Crimes, Punishments and Proceedings in Criminal Cases (Ch. 263-280) Ch. 276, § 85

Each person who receives an appointment as a probation officer shall, within six months of the date of his appointment, attend a basic orientation training course conducted by the commissioner of probation pursuant to section ninety-nine. All probation officers shall attend at least every three years an in-service training course pursuant to this section. In addition to the other duties imposed upon him, each probation officer shall, as the court may direct, inquire into the nature of every criminal case brought before the court under the appointment of which he acts, and inform the court, so far as is possible, whether the defendant has previously been convicted of crime and in the case of a criminal prosecution before said court charging a person with an offence punishable by imprisonment for more than one year the probation officer shall in any event present to the court such information as the commissioner of probation has in his possession relative to prior criminal prosecutions, if any, of such person and to the disposition of each such prosecution, and all other available information relative thereto, before such person is admitted to bail in court and also before disposition of the case against him by sentence, or placing on file or probation. Such record of the probation officer presented to the court shall not contain as part thereof any information of prior criminal prosecutions, if any, of the defendant wherein the defendant was found not guilty by the court or jury in said prior criminal prosecution. Prior to the aforesaid disposition such record of the probation officer shall be made available to the defendant and his counsel for inspection. When it comes to the knowledge of a probation officer that the defendant in a criminal case before his court charged with an offence punishable by imprisonment is then on probation in another court or is then at liberty on parole or on a permit to be at liberty, such probation officer shall forthwith certify the fact of the presence of the defendant before his court to the probation officer of such other court or the parole authorities granting or issuing such parole or permit to be at liberty, as the case may be. He may recommend to the justice of his own court that any person convicted be placed on probation. He shall perform such other duties as the court requires. He shall keep full records of all cases investigated by him or placed in his care by the court, and of all duties performed by him. Every person released upon probation shall be given by the probation officer a written statement of the terms and conditions of the release.