Overview
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) was established as an independent state agency on July 1, 1997 as a result of the abolishment of Franklin County, pursuant to Chapter 151 of the Acts of 1996. Section 12 of Chapter 34B of the Massachusetts General Laws made the Sheriff an employee of the Commonwealth on July 1, 1998, but the Sheriff remained an elected official and retained administrative and operational control of FCSO.
According to FCSO’s General Order 346, titled “Internal Control,” the agency’s primary mission is “the protection of the public.” The order also states,
The Sheriff’s Office provides public safety and demonstrates its commitment to the community by providing the following services:
- Operation of a Regional Correctional System (Jail, House of Correction, Correctional Reentry Program).
- Transportation of prisoners to and from the divisions of the trial court.
- Detention of pre-arraignment arrestees.
- Service of Judicial Process.
- Community Policing / Crime Prevention Programs for the benefit of senior citizens.
FCSO offers various inmate programs to prepare inmates for life after incarceration. These programs include, but are not limited to, behavioral health support, education, and vocational training; reentry support after incarceration; and substance use disorder treatment.
In addition, FCSO offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. According to FCSO’s website,
As of 2018, over 40% of people incarcerated at the Franklin County Jail self-identified as an opioid user. People leaving jail are at 50 times the risk of overdose death than the general public.
To combat this public health crisis, in 2016, FCSO became the first jail in Massachusetts, and one of the first in the nation, to offer buprenorphine/naloxone (commonly known as suboxone) widely to incarcerated patients.
FCSO currently offers three types of MAT:
- Naltrexone (Vivitrol)
- Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone)
- Naloxone (Narcan)
According to FCSO, there were 223 employees at FCSO as of June 30, 2018. During the audit period, FCSO had an average of 236 inmates, with a housing capacity of 333 inmates. For its operations, FCSO received state appropriations of $15,112,242 in fiscal year 2017 and $15,914,487 in fiscal year 2018.
| Date published: | September 26, 2019 |
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