By Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger

The Valley Patriot

Throughout my career in law enforcement, one thing always stayed with me.

Whether I was serving as a patrol officer, a supervisor, or Chief of Police in Lynn, I often saw the same people cycling through the criminal justice system. They would be arrested, released, struggle to rebuild their lives, and before long find themselves right back where they started.

It was frustrating because I knew many wanted something different for themselves and their families. But wanting to change and knowing how to change are two very different things.

When I became Essex County Sheriff, I knew we needed a better way.

That’s why we created the Supporting Transitions and Re-Entry (STAR) program. The idea was simple: if we want safer communities, we must help people address the challenges that often lead them into the justice system in the first place.

This year, we celebrated four years since opening our STAR office in Lawrence, a milestone that makes me incredibly proud.

Every week, our Lawrence office serves about 65 people, while our Lynn office serves more than 100. Behind every number is a person working toward a better future — someone looking for a job, earning a diploma, seeking treatment, finding stable housing, or simply trying to get a fresh start.

What makes STAR special is that no one has to do it alone.

Each participant is paired with a Navigator who connects them with the services and support they need. That may mean finding employment, enrolling in educational programs, securing housing, obtaining identification, or accessing behavioral health and substance use treatment services.

Since opening in Lawrence in 2022, STAR has received more than 2,800 referrals and completed over 1,100 participant intakes. This year alone, the program has served an average of 152 participants each month.

More importantly, we’re seeing lives change.

Participants have secured more than 320 jobs and completed thousands of hours of educational, vocational, and recovery-focused programming. Nearly 150 individuals have graduated after completing all of their goals, while many others continue making meaningful progress toward theirs.

One statistic stands out above all the others: STAR graduates have a one-year recidivism rate of just 2.6 percent, significantly lower than the state average. But even that number only tells part of the story.

I think about the people behind it — the father who can now provide for his family, the person in recovery who has remained sober, or the individual who earned a diploma or landed a first job after years of struggling. Those are the successes that matter most.

And those successes benefit all of us.

When people are working, supporting their families, and contributing to their communities, neighborhoods become stronger and safer. Public safety isn’t just about responding to crime. It’s also about creating opportunities that help prevent it.

STAR’s success is built on strong community partnerships. Through a network of more than 100 organizations and agencies, our Navigators connect participants directly to the services they need. Rather than leaving individuals to navigate a complex system on their own, we bring resources to them, ensuring faster access to critical support. It’s one-stop shopping for help.

Another reason STAR has been successful is that we understand progress isn’t always a straight line. Recovery and personal growth take time, and setbacks happen. When they do, we don’t give up on people.

We continue to support them, encourage them, and help them move forward because sometimes a second or third chance is what it takes to succeed. Our STAR team is there every step of the way.

As we begin our fifth year in Lawrence, we’re focused on expanding partnerships and reaching even more people who are ready to make positive changes in their lives.

The STAR program has reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time: people are capable of change when they are given the tools, support, and opportunity to succeed.

By investing in people, we’re investing in stronger families, safer neighborhoods, and a better future for Essex County.

That’s work worth doing, and it’s work we’re committed to every day.

If you know someone in need of these services, visit www.essexsheriffma.org/program/star.

Kevin F. Coppinger is the Sheriff of Essex County and a former Lynn Police Chief with more than four decades in law enforcement. He oversees the Middleton Jail and House of Correction, the Essex County Pre-release and Re-entry Center in Lawrence, the Women in Transition facility in Salisbury, and the Supporting Transitions and Re-entry community-based programs in Lynn and Lawrence. The Essex County Sheriff’s Department supports communities across the county through corrections, re-entry, and public safety programs focused on reducing recidivism and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods.