Sheriff Coppinger Advocates For Expanding Services at Offices of Community Corrections

SHERIFF COPPINGER ADVOCATES FOR EXPANDING SERVICES AT OFFICES OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS

Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on Monday June 19th in Gardner Auditorium at the State House.  He spoke in favor of House Bill 74, An act implementing the joint recommendation of the Massachusetts criminal justice review.  Sheriff Coppinger was part of a panel with Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association President, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins 

Sheriff Coppinger advocated for amending Chapter 211F to allow pretrial offenders to be eligible for services at Offices of Community Corrections.  Under current law only sentenced offenders can be eligible for services at OCC’s.

Sheriff Coppinger said, “The measure would provide the courts with an additional tool to ensure accountability of pre-trial individuals who are not in custody.   In addition to accountability, the change would also be a critical step forward in our battle with the opiate epidemic by allowing these pre-trial offenders to participate in drug testing and other programming offered at the Offices of Community Corrections.”

He believes that a responsible change to Chapter 211F and changes to the bail system will provide some relief by decreasing overcrowding, decreasing cost, increasing efficiency and accountability of pretrial offenders.

Essex County Sheriff’s Department presently operates OCC’s in Lynn, Lawrence and Salisbury.  They provide intensive supervision, treatment and education to high risk offenders, substance abuse treatment, HISET, job readiness training and placement, Department of Mental Health services, drug and alcohol testing and electronic monitoring services.

With corrections spending over a billion dollars per year the Governor, the Speaker, the Senate President, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court requested that the Council of State Governments Justice Center conduct a data driven analysis to assist in the development of recommendations to reduce recidivism, improve public safety and generate savings.

This bill filed by Governor Baker is the result of a bipartisan steering committee and working group. Between January 2016 and January 2017, the 25-member working group met six times, and its five-member steering committee met seven times to review analyses conducted by the CSG Justice Center and discuss policy options.