This Behavior Could Get You 5 Years in MA Prison…or $1k Fine

When my wife, Amber, and I moved to Pittsfield back in 2011 we chose a nice neighborhood that includes plenty of flat streets for walking, friendly neighbors, a nice park, and an overall safe and comfortable place to live. As a matter of fact, like many neighborhoods throughout Pittsfield and the Berkshires, we have our own crime watch organization which keeps us up to date with any questionable situations throughout the neighborhood.

I remember not too long after we moved in, we attended one of the crime watch meetings and were told about a neighbor that would look into our neighbors' windows. This situation was handled and hasn't been an issue since, at least that I'm aware of. There always seems to be at least one in the crowd.

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There was also an issue, not in our neighborhood, but with a mutual friend who lived in Pittsfield at the time who was being mildly stalked. The stalking situation was handled and our friend eventually moved out of the Berkshires not because of the stalking but because she was moving on in her career. Because of the fact that I'm a fan of horror movies coupled with the fact that I know somebody who was stalked, I started wondering what the punishment for stalking is in the State of Massachusetts.

According to the Massachusetts Legislature, you could spend five years in state prison or get nailed with a fine of one thousand dollars. Another possible punishment could be imprisonment in the house of correction for two and a half years or a combination of fine and imprisonment. You can get all of the details on this particular law along with other various punishment options by going here.

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