At the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, we are proud of the vital work we do every day: maintaining a secure environment for those needing incarceration while also treating substance use disorders, providing mental health care, and preparing individuals for successful re-entry back into our communities. This is the work that truly keeps people safe.
For most people, especially those who have no reason to interact with the Sheriff’s Department, our mission often runs behind the scenes. However, the services we provide, and the opportunities we offer, are critical to public safety and the quality of life for all who live, work, or travel through our 34 cities and towns.
Our Supporting Transitions and Re-entry (STAR) centers in Lynn and Lawrence are perfect examples. These community-based programs connect justice-involved individuals — and those at risk — to hundreds of local services, from education and counseling to housing and workforce training. For people leaving incarceration, STAR provides continuity of care by linking them directly to many of the same evidence-based programs we offer inside our facilities. The results speak for themselves: Recidivism rates for those who participate in our programs have dropped to just 17.4%, an extraordinary success.
We have also been labeled as a national leader in innovation with our Medication Assisted Treatment program. Today, 225 people receive daily treatment through this program, which combines medication with wraparound support such as counseling and sober housing. We recently hosted correctional leaders from across the country to learn about and duplicate our program in places like Ventura County, California and Arlington, Virginia.
And our commitment doesn’t stop there. Last month, 163 incarcerated individuals were recognized for completing programs ranging from high school equivalency diplomas to college-level courses through Northern Essex Community College. One was even inducted into the Adult Education National Honor Society. Soon, we will add a plumbing certification program to the many other job training opportunities we offer, further expanding opportunities for meaningful employment after release.
Headlines, particularly from outside of Essex County, focus on the notion of “half-empty” jails and sheriffs’ spending. But here is the reality: Our facilities have become one of the state’s largest public health care providers. More than 70% of our population lives with a substance use disorder, a mental health diagnosis, or both. In Middleton alone, 818 individuals are housed in outdated facilities designed for 500, with an average of 40% of pre-trial detainees awaiting trial for violent crimes such as murder and rape. These numbers tell a very different story — one of daily challenges, rising needs, failing infrastructure, and an immense responsibility placed on sheriffs.
And, yes, there are some sheriffs facing increased scrutiny on more personal matters. In the long term, we will see how those issues pan out.
We invite you to investigate and discover the true mission of Sheriffs’ Departments. Today, that mission has expanded by addressing those root causes of crime — substance use disorder and mental illness, amongst others. Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Re-entry. These are the new benchmarks in corrections today. Finding new solutions to age-old problems to help reduce crime and increase public safety across the Commonwealth.
Kevin F. Coppinger is the Essex County Sheriff.
