| Organization: | Office of the State Auditor |
|---|---|
| Date published: | November 25, 2025 |
Executive Summary
In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of certain activities of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024. When designing the audit plan for employee settlement agreements entered into by HCSO, we extended the audit period to July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.
The purpose of our audit was to determine the following:
- Did HCSO handle the deaths of inmates in its custody in accordance with its “3.1.15—Death of a Person” policy and with Section 932.17(2) of Title 103 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR)?
- Did HCSO hold internal quarterly meetings and submit quarterly reports regarding healthcare services for inmates in accordance with its “4.5.1—Health Services Governance and Administration” policy and with 103 CMR 932.01(3)?
- Did HCSO provide its inmates with receiving screenings upon admission, as well as an initial health assessment and a physical examination within 7 to 14 days after admission, in accordance with its “4.5.7—Health Care and Treatment” policy and with 103 CMR 932.06 and 932.07?
- Did HCSO provide its inmates with medical care after submission of a sick call request in accordance with HCSO’s “4.5.7—Health Care and Treatment” policy and with 103 CMR 932.09?
- Did HCSO provide initial mental health assessments to all inmates within its custody within 14 days of admission in accordance with its “4.5.12—Mental Health Services” policy and with 103 CMR 932.13?
- Did HCSO have internal policies and procedures in place for (a) the review and approval of employee settlement agreements, including the language used, and (b) the reporting of employee settlement agreements to the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth (CTR)? For employee settlement agreements entered into from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024, did HCSO follow these policies, and did it refrain from using non-disclosure, non-disparagement, or similarly restrictive clauses as part of employee settlement agreement language?
Below is a summary of our findings, the effects of those findings, and our recommendations, with hyperlinks to each page listed.
| Finding 1 | HCSO should ensure that all inmates receive physical examinations on time, as part of their initial health assessments. |
| Effect | Because HCSO did not ensure that all inmates received physical examinations as part of their initial health assessments within the required timeframe, there is a higher risk that inmates’ medical issues were not identified and treated, ultimately affecting the health and safety of all HCSO inmates and staff members. |
| Recommendations |
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| Finding 2 | HCSO should have documented internal policies or procedures regarding state employee settlement agreements and supporting records, as would be best practice. |
| Effect | A documented, written process to handle employee settlement agreements, especially for those containing non-disclosure, non-disparagement, or similarly restrictive clauses, can help ensure that employee settlements are handled in an ethical, legal, and appropriate manner. |
| Recommendation | HCSO should develop, document, and implement a written policy related to employee settlement agreements, including prohibiting the use of non-disclosure, non-disparagement, or similarly restrictive clauses in its agreements, as recommended in the Governor’s “Executive Department Settlement Policy,” issued January 27, 2025. |
Table of Contents
Downloads
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Open PDF file, 400.22 KB, Audit Report - Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (English, PDF 400.22 KB)