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Sheriff Coppinger releases 2021 Annual Report highlighting successes in programs both inside facilities and in our communities

Posted on: July 7, 2022 - 9:41am
AnnualReport2022

MIDDLETON, Mass. — Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger is proud to release the Essex County Sheriff’s Department 2021 Annual Report.

“We serve 800,000 people living in Essex County and our mission is simple — to improve public safety by providing the services needed for justice-involved individuals to become productive, successful members of our communities,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “This report demonstrates our successes to reduce recidivism, our service to communities, and our transparency in spending your tax dollars.”

Sheriff Coppinger took office in January 2017 with a promise to release an annual report on the Department’s programs, services, and spending. This is his fourth annual report.

The 2021 annual report highlights many improvements in programming and inmate services made by Sheriff Coppinger to bolster public safety. These include:

  • The STAR program. The initiation of the Supporting Transitions And Reentry (STAR) program. This community-based programming aims to keep people out of jail by bringing together community partners to address the roadblocks justice-involved individuals face in finding a supportive and successful life outside of jail. The program which was due to open in 2020 was delayed by COVID-19 but is now thriving in both Lawrence and Lynn.
  • The COPE program. Correctional Opportunities for Personal Enrichment (COPE) is a diversion program based in our Middleton facility for those with ongoing mental health disorders. Clients in the COPE program live in a supportive, dormitory-style unit to reduce stress and promote socialization. Staff clinicians are embedded in the unit 24 hours a day to support an individual’s needs.
  • The OARS program. The Opening Avenues for Reentry Success program is a housing opportunity for those seeking to maximize opportunities for educational, training, and counseling programs. This program dedicates specific housing units to those who want to better themselves and take advantage of the numbers of educational and vocational programs we offer. Those participating get several hours of classroom instruction and group programing daily and then take what they learned back to their housing unit where the individuals continue to learn and teach each other. Some of the programming offered includes HiSET preparation, college level classes from Northern Essex Community College and Merrimack College, and peer tutoring programs. 

“My staff of clinicians, social workers, correctional officers, and other professionals are always looking at what we do and how we can do it better,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “We use evidence-based practices as well as our own creativity and expertise to build programs that are often mirrored by other correctional facilities across the country.”

In 2021, the Department also brought in more than $15 million in grant money to support our aggressive efforts to bolster our partnerships with community-based agencies and in adding reentry services to help inmates be prepared for post-incarceration life. Among the highlights:

  • $850,000 in funding from the Federal Government for our STAR program, secured by U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton.
  • A $2.65 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMSHA) grand for Medicated Assisted Treatment to help fight substance use disorders.
  • A $250,000 U.S. Department of Justice Office Justice Program grant to grow our programs preventing, detecting, and responding to inmate sexual assault, abusive behaviors, and sexual harassment. 

The report also highlights the Essex County Sheriff’s Department service to communities, including:

  • Over 400 community service crews provided service to Essex County municipalities and nonprofits, including roadside cleanup, graffiti-removal, painting, and other similar work.
  • 22,109 hours of work completed by these crews to support our Essex County communities. 
  • 5,310 pounds of produce grown at our farm at the Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry Center and donated to nonprofits and schools.
  • 97 deployments of our K9 teams for mutual aid, and 29 K9 demonstrations in Essex County communities.
  • 1,500 cans and bottles donated to the North Andover Boy Scouts.

“I am very proud to serve our Essex County communities and to serve alongside the great men and women of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department each and every day,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “Together, we are here to serve you and to make our communities safer for everyone.”

For more information or to read the Annual Report, please click here.