Overview
Each county sheriff in the Commonwealth is an elected official who serves a term of six years. The county sheriffs’ offices were originally county government entities but have all, as of January 2010, been converted to state government entities. The Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) is located in Boston and currently consists of an executive director and a deputy director, who are appointed by the state’s 14 sheriffs. A president and vice president are elected to serve a two-year term. MSA receives an annual legislative appropriation in the Commonwealth’s approved budget under Line Item 8910-7110, “Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association Main Appropriation.” For fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020, MSA’s state appropriations were $375,992, $461,742, and $461,742, respectively.
MSA collects data related to incarceration, recidivism, and inmate population from the 14 independent sheriffs’ offices and reports the information, as required, on its website and in formal reports to various legislative bodies and state agencies. In addition, MSA is charged with standardizing the services and programs that the sheriffs’ offices offer and providing technical assistance and training to the sheriffs throughout the Commonwealth.
| Date published: | June 28, 2022 |
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