POSTED ON: JULY 7, 2025 – 11:22AM
MIDDLETON, Mass. — Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger and a team from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department took to the national stage at the 2025 National Sheriffs’ Association Conference, presenting the Department’s groundbreaking Supporting Transitions and Re-entry (STAR) Program.
The well-attended workshop, titled “A Bicycle Built For 2: The Intersection Between Community Policing and Corrections,” highlighted how the STAR Program uses evidence-based practices, strong community partnerships, and accountability to reduce recidivism and support successful transitions for justice-involved individuals. The presentation emphasized STAR’s continuum-of-care model, which unites corrections, courts, probation, parole, police, and community providers to offer meaningful alternatives to incarceration and structured re-entry support.
“We’ve seen firsthand that when we invest in people and surround them with structure, support, and accountability, communities become safer,” said Sheriff Coppinger. “The STAR Program is about breaking the cycle by giving individuals the tools they need to succeed and reducing repeat offenses to help rebuild lives.”
Presenters included:
- Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger, Essex County Sheriff’s Department
- Stacie Bloxham, Director of STAR
- Sgt. Taylor Haberek, Lynn Police Community Bike Patrol Team
The team underscored the program’s success in integrating community policing into the re-entry process, an approach that has drawn attention from agencies across the country and earned the STAR Program the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association Program of the Year. Attendees were especially interested in how STAR balances accountability with support to advance public safety and improve outcomes.
“Our message resonated: smart re-entry programs are crime prevention tools,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “We were proud to show how collaboration and compassion can make all the difference in helping people turn their lives around and in keeping neighborhoods safer.”