Overview of the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department.

Table of Contents

Overview

The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) was established as a state agency on January 1, 2010, pursuant to Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2009. This act transferred to the Commonwealth all functions, duties, and responsibilities of PCSD and the other six county sheriffs’ offices that still existed, including assets, liabilities, debt, and potential litigation, except where specified. The Sheriff then became an employee of the Commonwealth, but remained an elected official and retained administrative and operational control over PCSD.

PCSD’s “Internal Control Policy 301” states that the department’s primary mission is as follows:

Protect the public from criminal offenders by operating a safe, secure and progressive correctional facility while committing to crime prevention awareness in the community.

PCSD is responsible for operating all aspects of its facilities, including the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Administrative Building (at 24 Long Pond Road in Plymouth). It also oversees the Plymouth County Correctional Facility (at 26 Long Pond Road in Plymouth), which administers inmate correctional and educational services and programs.

Further, PCSD operates a Civil Process Division (at 22 Cottage Street in Brockton), which executes court orders and serves legal documents. PCSD also operates a Sheriff’s Anti-Violence Effort Unit and a Substance Use Disorder Unit. According to its website, approximately 75% of PCSD’s inmates have been classified as having problems with substance use or chemical dependency.

PCSD offers educational programs to its inmates, such as the General Educational Development Program and programs in reading, basic math and computer skills, public speaking, life skills, and religious studies. Further, it offers vocational training programs to help inmates develop job skills they can use after they are released.

According to PCSD, it had 631 employees and 944 inmates as of June 30, 2018. For its operations, PCSD received state appropriations totaling $53,510,618 in fiscal year 2017 and $54,580,830 in fiscal year 2018.

Date published: May 23, 2019

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