Hampden County Sheriff's Department

As the threat of COVID-19 continues, the Hampden County Sheriffs Department is maintaining significant steps to protect the staff, the incarcerated individuals in its care, and the general public. All volunteers, interns, and program vendors paused providing their services inside the company's facilities starting in March, until further notice. Vol... unteers, interns and vendors should communicate with their specific department liaisons for updates. The Department is in constant contact with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, and the Department of Public Health to ensure the company is up on the latest recommendations coming from the Centers for Disease Control. These are unprecedented times and to adapt, and best protect the company's staff, the people in the company's custody and the general public, the company has taken unprecedented measures that impact virtually every aspect of the company's operations, said Sheriff Nick Cocchi. None of these decisions were made lightly and the company will continually be evaluating the company's decisions over the coming weeks to ensure that these changes remain necessary and are the best way to ensure the health and safety of every staff member and person in the company's care. Massachusetts residents and first responders can find a variety of statewide resources related to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Frontlinema.org , a website launched by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. In light of the pandemic, the Sheriffs Department has implemented the following operational changes, which are being evaluated weekly and modified as needed: Personal Visits & Communications: As of mid-March 2020, all inmate visits were paused until the COVID-19 threat passes. As a means to maintain outside communication and a connection with family and friends, Sheriff Cocchi authorized two hours of free phone calls each week for the company's offender population. The company's inmates also received three free stamped envelopes per week to ...Read More