MIDDLETON, Mass. — Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger has released the 2022 Annual Report for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department highlighting its “Partnering to Serve.”
The report takes an in-depth look at each of the Sheriff’s Department’s facilities, its programs, and it spending to provide Essex County residents a data-driven accounting of the agency’s service. It is the fifth annual report produced since Sheriff Coppinger took office in 2017.
“My intention with this annual report is to provide residents a better understanding of the work being done by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department to serve our 34 cities and towns. Our work goes well beyond the care, custody, and control of inmates, and is improving public safety by finding creative solutions to fight the mental health and substance use epidemics,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “We are also offering more opportunities for work force training and educational opportunities both inside our facilities and in the community because of our growing number of community partners. Together, we are making a difference and reducing recidivism.”
Some of the highlights included in the 2022 Annual Report:
- The Supporting Transitions and Reentry Program (STAR) which opened in May 2022 is a community-based program aimed to help keep people out of the criminal justice system and help those leaving our facilities find support to keep them on a road to success. In 2022, 135 individuals received services with the help of 130 community partners.
- Facilities enhancements included a major renovation of our 80-bed Unit, with plans for an overhaul of our Middleton facility’s camera and doors systems.
- The Pathway Home program in connection with the Sheriff’s Department served 450 sentenced inmates through a 42-month program to provide workforce training to help these individuals secure employment upon release.
- The Correctional Opportunities for Personal Enrichment (COPE) is a diversion program that provides a unique housing alternative for individuals with mental health conditions and co-occurring disorders. These individuals live in dormitory-style housing to minimize stress and a mental health clinician is embedded on the unit for on-demand help. The goal is to help justice-involved individuals through a therapeutic approach. In 2022, COPE enrolled 79 inmates and was able to assist 46 in returning to the community through diversion efforts.
Other interesting data included in the report:
- The average daily population for all ECSD facilities in 2022 was 1,092 individuals with 3,528 people processed at intake and 3,759 people released from incarceration.
- Our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program provided 54,740 doses to 619 individuals to help them fight substance use disorder.
- Our farm at the Essex County Pre-release and Re-entry Center grew 16 tons of produce, with 19,790 pounds donated to local nonprofits and 11,630 pounds served at our facilities. The farm also produced 7,390 pumpkins which were donated to area schools, youth organizations, and nursing facilities.
- The Community Service program provided 275 work crews, each with up to eight individuals, to area nonprofits and municipalities. An additional 230 work crews were provided to the Statehouse to clean multiple times a week. Our Anti-Graffiti Unit worked 109 days in Essex Communities.
- Grants for 2022 totaled more than $2.6 million.
- Our nine K9 teams were deployed 1,268 times in 2022, including 10 times for assisting in located missing persons.
A copy of the 2022 Annual Report is available on the Department’s website www.essexsheriffma.org and by clicking here. For a print copy, please contact Assistant Superintendent Maurice Pratt by email at mpratt@essexsheriffma.org.