Overview
The Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was established as an independent state agency on July 1, 1998, after Section 12 of Chapter 34B of the Massachusetts General Laws abolished Hampden County as a form of government. The Sheriff became an employee of the Commonwealth but remained an elected official and retained administrative and operational control of HCSO.
According to HCSO’s “1.1.1—Mission Statement/Goals Statutory Authority” policy,
The mission of the HCSO is to empower offenders to reclaim their liberty through informed and responsible choices. This mission is accomplished through a professional, well-trained and dedicated staff committed to the goals of the Sheriff’s Office. The continuum of care, from entry to post-release, is designed to promote successful offender re-entry as socially and civically responsible citizens.
During the audit period, HCSO had a total of 5,691 inmates in its custody.1 As of June 30, 2024, HCSO had 1,670 employees, including correctional officers who supervised and cared for the inmates in HCSO’s custody. In fiscal years 2023 and 2024, HCSO’s annual state appropriation was approximately $94,847,413 and $95,908,708, respectively.
HCSO’s main administrative building and the Hampden County Correctional Center are located at 627 Randall Road in Ludlow.
Under the Sheriff’s direction, HCSO operates several facilities, which include the Hampden County Correctional Center, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center, the Stonybrook Stabilization & Treatment Center, the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center, and the All-Inclusive Support Services Center.
According to HCSO’s “Protocol 1: Mission Philosophy,”
The HCSO provides a program of incarceration, rehabilitation and reintegration of incarcerated persons and other offenders. . . . Initial assessment, education classes, family counseling, and participation in in-house and community-based programs, structured recreational programs, jail industry programs and other rehabilitative services are offered to provide inmates the opportunity to achieve support, respect and personal accomplishment. The same programs are designed to successfully return the incarcerated persons and other offenders to their families and the community as socially responsible and law-abiding individuals.
Inmate Information System
HCSO uses an information system to track and manage information on inmates in its custody. During the process of admitting an inmate, one of HCSO’s booking administrators enters information from a mittimus2 into the system.
Medical Record Management System
HSCO uses a medical record management system to manage inmates’ medical information. Medical staff members, known as qualified healthcare professionals (QHPs),3 use electronic forms to document each inmate’s health information, such as their medical history, ongoing and past treatments, mental health conditions, medications, and scheduled appointments. QHPs also use this system to document and track inmates’ sick call requests.
Inmate Deaths
Section 932.17(2) of Title 103 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) requires county correctional facilities, such as HCSO, to establish guidelines for notifications, investigations, reports, and documentation regarding the deaths of inmates and facility employees. According to HCSO’s “3.1.15—Death of a Person” policy, in the event of serious illness or injury of an inmate, HCSO staff members immediately notify the shift commander, who notifies the Sheriff. If an inmate is found unresponsive while in HCSO’s custody, HCSO employees start immediate life-saving measures. Responding QHPs, upon arrival at the scene, assess the situation and provide any necessary treatment. If necessary, the inmate is transported to the hospital by ambulance and is accompanied by an HCSO employee who stays with the inmate until either a medical diagnosis is made or the time of death is declared; at this point, they notify the shift commander of the situation. The HCSO employee who accompanied the inmate is responsible for preparing an incident report, which includes the names of any involved ambulance attendants, paramedics, and physicians; if the inmate died, the report also includes the date and time of their death and the name of the physician who declared their death.
Upon discovery of a death of an inmate in an HCSO facility, the special operations supervisor is designated as the incident commander; secures the area; notifies the Sheriff, the chief of security, the assistant superintendent of operations, the superintendent, the Massachusetts State Police; and activates the criminal investigation unit. The incident commander then initiates an investigation and ensures that all present staff members complete an incident report and all present inmates provide signed statements; these documents are maintained within one file. The Sheriff determines who notifies the deceased inmate’s emergency contact. For cases in which HCSO was holding the inmate for another county, HCSO notifies the Sheriff of that county of the situation.
After the death of an inmate, an administrative review is performed. The administrative review consists of an assessment of the actions taken at the time of the inmate’s death to identify areas in which facility operations, protocols, and procedures could be improved. HCSO also performs a clinical mortality review of the medical care provided in the period preceding the inmate’s death. The purpose of the clinical mortality review is to determine whether patient care or medical policies and procedures need to be changed. If the inmate’s death was by suicide, then a psychological autopsy is performed by a qualified mental health professional. The psychological autopsy is an in-depth review of the factors that might have contributed to the inmate’s death. Each of these reviews is performed within 30 days of the inmate’s death.
Healthcare Services
During the audit period, most general healthcare services were provided by HCSO’s in-house healthcare employees. HCSO’s director of nursing was designated as its responsible health authority, who is in charge of ensuring accessible, quality, and timely healthcare services for inmates. Also, during the audit period, HCSO contracted with external healthcare providers for certain aspects of mental health, substance use disorder treatment, laboratory, and dental services.
Quarterly Meetings
According to 103 CMR 932.01(3),
The county correctional facility [in this case, HCSO] shall require that the health authority meet with the Sheriff/facility administrator or designee at least quarterly and submit the following:
(a) quarterly reports on the health care delivery system and health environment; and
(b) annual statistical summaries.
HCSO holds quarterly administrative meetings with the facility administrator and the health authority or their designee, and other healthcare and correctional staff members. These meetings provide the Health Department with the opportunity to review the effectiveness of the healthcare system and changes in protocols and to discuss topics such as nursing trends and wellness checks. HCSO submits weekly reports to the Sheriff regarding the Health Department and health environment.
Statistical summaries, referenced in the above regulations, provide a comprehensive overview of medical services delivered to inmates throughout the year and report on the number of sick call visits, external medical trips (e.g., hospital admissions), emergencies, and dental cases.
Receiving Screening
According to 103 CMR 932.06, an admission medical screening—which HSCO refers to as a receiving screening—should be performed on each inmate upon their arrival at HCSO’s facilities by a QHP. During the booking process, a QHP conducts a receiving screening, which includes, but is not limited to, a review of an inmate’s medical history (including illnesses, mental health conditions, allergies, and substance use), appearance, dental issues, and current mental state. The QHP records all findings of the receiving screening on the Admission Screening form, the Oral Screening form, the Medical Intake form, and the Substance Abuse Assessment form if required. Additionally, the QHP makes recommendations for the disposition of the inmate, such as referrals to appropriate healthcare services or being placed in the general inmate population.
Initial Health Assessments and Physical Examinations
According to 103 CMR 932.07, each inmate committed to an HCSO facility for 30 or more days must receive a physical examination within either (1) 7 days of admission, if a licensed practical nurse completes the receiving screening, or (2) 14 days of admission, if a physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse completes the receiving screening. Physical examinations include the examination of the inmate for signs of trauma or illness and the review of any medical findings or test results with the inmate. These physical examinations are one part of HCSO’s overall initial health assessment.
In addition to the physical examination, according to HCSO’s “4.5.7—Health Care and Treatment” policy, the initial health assessment also includes the following:
- review of the admission survey results;
- collection of additional medical data to complete the inmate’s medical history;
- follow-up on any issues identified during the receiving screening;
- recording of vital signs (e.g., blood pressure and pulse);
- conduction of laboratory and/or diagnostic tests;
- review of the inmate’s immunization history;
- ordering of vaccines, if needed; and
- housing and job assignment recommendations, when appropriate.
Initial Mental Health Screenings and Follow-up Evaluations
According to HCSO’s “4.5.12—Mental Health Services” policy, all inmates receive a mental health screening upon admission, as part of the medical intake process. This initial mental health screening includes, but is not limited to, an interview regarding the inmate’s history of psychiatric treatment, hospitalization related to substance use disorder, detoxification and outpatient treatment, and suicidal and/or violent behavior, as well as a screening of the inmate’s intellectual function and emotional response to incarceration. Inmates who screen positive for mental health disorders are referred for further evaluation by a mental health clinician and are seen within 10 business days of their initial mental health screening.
Sick Call Requests
According to 103 CMR 932.09(1),
Written policy and procedure shall provide for continuous response to health care requests and that sick call, conducted by a physician or other qualified health personnel, is available to each inmate.
According to HCSO’s “4.5.7–Health Care and Treatment” policy, correctional officers log requests for healthcare from inmates directly into the medical record management system. A QHP provides services for each submitted request for healthcare; these services include a face-to-face meeting and documentation of the meeting within the inmate’s medical record.
Employee Settlement Agreements
The Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth (CTR) has established policies and procedures for Commonwealth agencies regarding the processing of employee settlements and judgments. CTR’s “Settlements and Judgments Policy,” dated January 10, 2022 and in effect during the audit period, states,
A settlement or judgment results from a formal claim (grievance, complaint or law suit) against the Commonwealth that results in either a Settlement Agreement, or a court or administrative award, order or Judgment. . . .
A “claim” is considered any demand by any person for damages to compensate a wrong allegedly suffered, including but not limited to violation of civil rights, breach of contract, failure to comply with contract bidding laws, incorrect or improper personnel determinations regarding pay, promotion or discipline, failure to comply with statutory or constitutional provisions applicable to employment, an eminent domain taking, and attorney’s fees, interest and litigation costs associated with these claims.
For the purposes of our audit, we focused on settlement agreements resulting from claims brought by current or former state employees against HCSO for the extended audit period, July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.
The procedures for agencies to determine the availability of funds for the payment of settlements and judgments against the Commonwealth are described in 815 CMR 5.00, as are reporting requirements. This regulation requires agencies to prepare and submit a report to CTR’s general counsel before making the payment. When reporting employee settlement agreements to CTR, state agencies use a Non-Tort Settlement/Judgment Payment Authorization Form (referred to in this report as the SJ Authorization Form) to document the following:
- whether the claim will be paid by the agency or through the Settlement and Judgment Reserve Fund;
- the type of claim;
- the agency’s information;
- the employee’s information;
- the type and amount of damages detailed in the settlement agreement;
- the amount of any attorney’s fees awarded; and
- the amount of any interest awarded or accrued.
Additionally, agencies must also include a copy of the employee settlement agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties when they submit the SJ Authorization Form.
| Date published: | November 25, 2025 |
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