FCSO 7th Annual
Golf Outing
FCSO Jail Break 5K
Road Race/Walk and Kids Fun Run
Ground Breaking for the New Franklin
County Jail
Builder Picked for County Jail
2nd FCSO Training Academy Graduates
Six
State Commits to Greenfield Jail Site
Sheriff
Announces Recidivism Numbers
Sheriff
and School Superintendent Kick-Off Child Safety Partnership
Sheriff Pucksters Finish Fifth
Sheriff's Office to Offer Light Bulbs
to Elderly
Sheriff Teams Up With Masons For Child Safety
Sheriff’s Office to Distribute Gunlocks
Child ID Program
Expanded
Massachusetts Sheriffs Testify At Senate Oversight Hearing
Sheriff
Offers Self-Defense Training for Women
Sheriff's Office to Offer Free
Fingerprint Kits
Sheriff Releases Statistics on Community
Corrections
One
Step Closer to New County Jail
New Jail Officially Out to BidWhat's New
 March
24, 2011
FCSO 7TH
ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
The Franklin
County Sheriff's Office will hold its Annual Four-Person
Scramble Golf Outing on Monday, May 9, 2011 at the Country Club
of Greenfield. The event will benefit Warm the Children, a
non-profit organization dedicated to providing new winter
clothing for area needy children.
We are currently
seeking individuals and businesses for sponsorship, as well as
item for the raffle. If you are interested in sponsoring a
green or tee for $50, or making a flat donation, please make
your check payable to: Franklin County Deputy Sheriffs'
Association, ATTN: GOLF OUTING, PO Box 386, Greenfield, MA
01302
Questions?
Contact Doni Beauregard at (413) 774-4014 ext. 2161 or email her
at doni.beauregard@fcs.state.ma.us
July
20, 2010
FCSO JAIL BREAK 5K ROAD
RACE/WALK AND KIDS FUN RUN
Top Of Page
August
5, 2005
GROUND BREAKING FOR THE
NEW FRANKLIN COUNTY JAIL
"The last time Franklin County
had a ground-breaking for a new jail, it was only 10 years after Custer's last
stand," modern-day Sheriff Frederick Macdonald said yesterday to an amused
audience for yesterday's ceremony for a long-anticipated jail.
About 100 people
gathered to celebrate the $35.4 million construction project,
which actually began in late February. That price is up
from the initial cost set two years ago as $25 million,
Macdonald said, due to inflation and a few changes, such as to
the proposed roof. Foundations of the four connected
buildings are visible. Construction should be complete by
November, said Mark C. Nelson, deputy commissioner of the
state's Department of Construction and Asset Management.
The new one-story
jail will house up to 288 inmates, compared to the current
intended capacity of 114. It will have a modern locking
system and other state-of-the-art security design features.
The new jail will
have more office space for correction professionals to work,
Macdonald said. This is expected to improve the jail's
efforts to improve the life-skills of inmates before they return
to society. Currently, the jail offers programs in
literacy, job training, substance abuse counseling and anger
management.
Jail officials
are also working on an application for a federal grant to
renovate the old sheriff's quarters in the old jail, to be used
as transitional housing for inmates preparing to leave, the
jail's chief of staff David Lanoie said.
The existing
three-story brick jail was built in 1886. Today it stands
as a reminder of its Victorian/Gothic Revival era. Its
strategic location with a broad view overlooking escape routes
over the hills and Interstate 91 is still relevant today, jail
officials noted yesterday.
State Senator
Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, recalled his first trip to the jail
after he was elected 13 years ago.
"I tried to keep
a poker face as I walked through, because I was in absolute
shock," he said.
The brick cells
are only 48 square feet, compared to the new cells, which will
be 80 square feet. Prisoners peer out from the dark cells
that look more like closets. For many years, they had no
toilets in the cells.
"The people who
were incarcerated and the people who worked there, I felt, were
facing absolute disaster if anything happened, such as a fire,"
Rosenberg recalled thinking.
Still it took 13
years after Macdonald was elected on the campaign for a new
jail, to get one. The state would promise the money, and
then withdraw it at the last minute, usually for a construction
project in the eastern part of the state, Macdonald has said.
State
Representative Christopher Donelan, D-Orange, spoke about his
experience as a probation officer working in an antiquated and
cramped jail.
"Everything that
we do to provide a leg up for our folks who have a drug abuse
problem or addiction or an anger management problem or a mental
health problem, it was always the weak link," he said.
State Senator
Stephen Brewer, D-Barre, praised the Franklin County legislative
delegation, in particular Rosenberg, for what he called pit bull
tenacity in keeping the jail project alive.
 |
| Breaking ground for a new Franklin County Jail are,
from left, Mark C. Nelson, deputy commissioner of the Division of
Capital Asset Management; Sheriff Frederick Macdonald; state Sen.
Stanley Rosenberg; state Rep. Christopher Donelan; state Sen. Stephen
Brewer, and; Regina Curtis, Assistant to state Rep. Stephen Kulik. |
| |
Top Of Page
November
25, 2004
BUILDER PICKED FOR COUNTY JAIL
Fontaine Brothers
Inc. of Springfield has won the contract to build the Franklin
County Jail. The company had submitted a bid of
$28,317,000. Two other companies had submitted bids
according to a Division of Capital Asset Management spokesman.
Sheriff Frederick
B. Macdonald said he expects Fontaine Brothers to sign the
contract within two weeks after studying the details.
"We're one step closer to groundbreaking," said Macdonald.
The new jail will
rise next to the current jail on Elm Street and will have 96,000
square feet, 144 cells, and will house 288 prisoners.
Built in 1886, the original jail was designed to house up to 63
inmates, and got a modular addition several years ago to bring
its capacity to 110. The inmate population during the past
two years has fluctuated between 175 and 205.
Fontaine Brothers
had been named contractor for the project last year, only to
have state funding for the jail put on hold because of economic
conditions. A new selection process was held this year
after the money was freed up.
Preliminary work
on the project could start by the end of January, and
construction would move into high gear in the spring, with
completion in 2006.
Officials have
not decided the fate of the old jail, but it is unlikely that it
will get torn down because of its historic stature. One
program it might house is job release, serving as a base for
inmates preparing for their re-entry into society, something the
current facility has no space to provide.
Top Of Page
September
1, 2004
2ND FCSO TRAINING ACADEMY
GRADUATES SIX
The Franklin
County Sheriff's Office will observe its second Training
Academy Graduation exercises on Wednesday, September 1st.
"This is a
wonderful achievement for our staff," Sheriff Macdonald said.
"After several years of hard work by members of the staff, our
curriculum was submitted and certified by the Massachusetts
Sheriffs' Association and Education Training Committee."
Until last year,
Franklin County officers had to go to either Hampshire or
Hampden County for basic recruit training. Under
guidelines adopted by the Massachusetts sheriffs, individual
counties cannot offer basic recruit training in corrections or
law enforcement until they comply with MSAETC standardized
curriculum developed for training sheriff's office staff.
The program currently runs for eight weeks and provides training
in areas that are pertinent, practical and essential for
effectively preparing the recruits to fulfill their
responsibilities as professionals at the Franklin County
Sheriff's Office.
Wednesday's
ceremony will recognize the following individuals: Justin
C. Chapin, Thomas L. McDonald, Becky M. Paciorek, Donna R.
Pedigo, Christopher R. Pettengill, and Jamie L. Poremba.
Top Of Page
August
13, 2004
STATE COMMITS TO
GREENFIELD JAIL SITE
The conference table at the
Franklin County Jail was filled with construction contractors who went last week
to see the site of a $25 million project, a new jail. It will be the first
new jail at the site since the current one was built around 1886.
Staffers from the
state Department of Capital Asset Management assured the dozen
construction managers and designers from all over New England
that the state is committed to building in Greenfield this time.
Several years
ago, money for the project dried up at the last minute after the
Sheriff from Barnstable County submitted a request for more
staff. This came after four contractors had already
submitted their estimates for the project. "You guys are
going to be the first ones on the street because we need to
spend money," said a DCAM official.
Bids are due in
by October 28. "The state expects construction to commence
around January," said jail Assistant Superintendent, Ray Brown.
"This means that the county and the town could have a new jail
in two years."
What about the
old jail - the multi-storied brick building that looks a bit
like an institution from a Charles Dickens novel? Due to
its historic value, the state is not removing the building that
many consider a financial burden. Instead, contractors
will be building and working around the old structure with the
inmates still there. The old jail may be used by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service, which is stretched these
days housing illegal aliens. It may also be used someday
for pre-release programs for inmates. The old jail houses
188 inmates; the new one will house 288.
The new jail will
wrap around the north and west side of the old one. It
will be constructed of an as-yet undetermined pre-case material,
probably some type of textured concrete. While its
interior will be divided into four so-called pods, its exterior
will look like connecting rectangles. It will be discreet
and obscured behind the old jail, whose future use is undecided.
In order to build
the jail, contractors will have to remove antique barns at the
rear that are in spectacularly good condition, considering that
the oldest and largest is about 100 years old. Until
recently, inmates raised vegetables and cattle, and slaughtered
their own meat. One hundred years of inmate maintenance
has kept them in pristine condition.
What happens to
the barns is up to whichever contractor gains the bid. At
the scene, some said it is possible to move barns, even those as
large as the oldest one. Much of the extensive green
pastures behind the old jail will be taken up with the new jail.
However, a wide outer perimeter is protected because of wetlands
and such endangered species as wood turtles.
The old jail and
the new one allow all three levels of security from maximum to
minimum. Called "podular," its new design is intended to
limit the number of inmates congregating at any one time or
place. It also limits how much time inmates and jail
staffers spend moving inmates from one function to another,
leaving more time for such pursuits as education and substance
abuse treatment.
The full cost of
the project is currently set at almost $33 million. This
includes the design costs, already incurred, contingency money
added, and furnishing expenses.
Top Of Page
July
27, 2004
SHERIFF ANNOUNCES
RECIDIVISM
NUMBERS
The number of inmates who serve time in the
Franklin County House of Correction and then return to the Jail
is the lowest in the state according to statistics released by
Sheriff Fred Macdonald. “Across the state, recidivism – or the
rate at which prisoners return to jail – is 44% to 52%, while in
Franklin County it is 29.4%,” the Sheriff said.
The statistics are based on a study
of incarceration records at the House of Correction from January
1, 1995 through July 1, 2004. During that period, 1,638
individuals were sentenced to the House of Correction. During
the same period, 482 of the original group were sentenced again
within three years of release. 1,156 individuals did not return
to the House of Correction. Therefore, the recidivism rate for
Franklin County for the past 9 ½ years has run at 29.4%. Of the
482 individuals who returned to Jail, 65% returned for a second
time; 21% had three incarcerations; 9% had four, and; 4% had
five.
Sheriff Macdonald attributed the
below average recidivism rate to several inmate programs. “At
the House of Correction, we have strong vocational, educational
and treatment programs that helps prepare inmates for
re-entry.” One example of treatment cited by the Sheriff is the
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program, or R.S.A.T.
“R.S.A.T. is a six-month to one-year program for chemically
dependent inmates who want to address their addiction and end the
revolving door of incarceration that addiction brings them,” the
Sheriff said. The R.S.A.T. program has strict eligibility
guidelines, which include completion of substance abuse
education group training, HIV classes and consistent attendance
at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
R.S.A.T. Instructor Joe Chromey said
that his focus is holistic in nature. “I want participants to
experience total recovery, and that means physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual healing,” Chromey said. Although not
required by the state grant which funds R.S.A.T, Chromey follows
up with his ‘students’ after they leave jail with a
questionnaire and phone calls. “Often times, R.S.A.T graduates
contact me first to let me know how they are doing,” Chromey
said. “Obviously, it is rewarding when they say they are still
clean and disappointing when they are not, but most of the
feedback is positive.
”During the last week in July,
officials from the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety,
the agency which funds the R.S.A.T. grant, will be on-site at
the Jail to conduct its annual site- visit and interview of
program participants. “We welcome the visits because we have a
motivated instructor and motivated participants. The folks from
Boston want to know whether the grant money is well spent,” the
Sheriff said.
Top Of Page
June
15, 2004
Sheriff and School
Superintendent Kick-Off Child Safety Partnership
Sheriff Fred
Macdonald and Greenfield School Superintendent Joseph Ruscio recently announced
a new program aimed at promoting child safety. In the program, which began
Tuesday, June 1st, the Sheriff’s Office offered its Child I.D.
Program to all students in Greenfield schools from kindergarten through eighth
grade. The Child I.D. Program provides digital pictures, fingerprints, and
other vital information for parents to utilize if a child is lost or abducted.
The program is provided at no cost to either the school department or parents.
A description of the program and permission slips were distributed to all
Greenfield elementary and middle school students within the past month.
“Based upon the number of permission
slips that were returned, we were able to provide ID packets to
over 600 Greenfield families,” the Sheriff said. Superintendent
Ruscio said that partnering with the Sheriff’s Office adds a new
dimension to safety programming for Greenfield students. “The
Child I.D. Program will be the first step in a series of
programs that the Sheriff’s Office will be providing in the
schools. Sometime in the fall, we are planning to introduce the
RAD and kidRAD programs utilizing Sheriff’s Office certified
instructors,” Ruscio said.
RAD, or Rape Aggression Defense,
will be provided for female students at the High School, and is
aimed at providing women with the tools necessary to resist
sexual aggression. KidRAD, or Resisting Aggression Defensively,
provides children of both genders with information and skills
for staying safe, avoiding abduction, and escaping from
potentially dangerous situations.
Sheriff Macdonald said that he looks
forward to the opportunity to enhance the safety initiatives
already in place in the Greenfield schools. “ The Greenfield
Police Department does a terrific job providing DARE instruction
and school resource officers within the schools. We are excited
about the opportunity to complement their efforts,” the Sheriff
said.
Ruscio said, “The involvement of
parents, public safety agencies, and school officials creates a
triangle that makes the safety of our children a top priority
for all of us…it’s like Triad for kids.”
 |
Fifth
grade students at North Parish School with their Child
ID packets. |
Top Of Page
June
2, 2004
SHERIFF
PUCKSTERS FINISH FIFTH
On May 28th and 29th, the hockey
team composed of corrections officers representing the
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office placed fifth out of 12
squads in the second annual Massachusetts Sheriffs’
Hockey Tournament at the New England Ice Sports Center
in Marlboro. In back-to-back games on Friday night,
Franklin County beat Norfolk County, 7-4, then tied
Suffolk County, 2-2, before losing 4-0 to Norfolk in a
return match on Saturday. Jeff Sullivan provided the
bulk of the offense with five goals and an assist while
Bob Haughey, Casey Fahey, Chris Pettengill and Mat
Ainsworth all knocked home single tallies. Jim Sturges
contributed three assists and Matt Kempf had one helper
for the CO’s, who were helped in their efforts by
teammates Jason Collins, Bob Hall, Greg Roberts, Nick
Carme and Mike Tucker. The team was assembled and
coached by Ray Brown. University of Massachusetts
net-minder Mike Waidlich of Millers Falls played between
the pipes and kicked aside 77 shots in the three games.
Pictured from L to R: (Top) Ray Brown, Chris Pettingill,
Nick Carme, Jason Collins,
Mike Waidlich, Jim Sturges, Mike Tucker, Matt
Kempf, Jason Kilgour.
(Bottom) Bob Hall, Casey Fahey, Jeff Sullivan,
Mat Ainsworth, Greg Roberts, Bob Haughey.
Top Of Page
March
29, 2004
Sheriff's Office to
Offer Light Bulbs to Elderly
As part of the ongoing
effort to assist the elderly, the Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office will soon begin distributing
energy-efficient light bulbs to Franklin County senior
citizens. “This is a cooperative venture between
Western Mass Electric Company and the TRIAD Division of
my Office,” Sheriff Fred Macdonald said.
TRIAD provides a host of
crime prevention, education and safety services to over
2,000 elderly residents of the county. This most
recent venture achieves the objectives of reducing
electricity use and assisting the senior citizens with
keeping energy costs down.
According to TRIAD Division
Captain Howard Sheperd, who will be coordinating the
program, the light bulbs will be available to existing
WMECO customers and will be installed by members of the
Sheriff’s TRIAD Division. “This is a great
initiative by WMECO to both conserve energy and help our
seniors at the same time. We are very excited that
we can add this to the programs already offered by the
Sheriff’s Office aimed at enhancing the safety,
security, and quality of life of our senior citizens,”
said Sheperd.
“WMECO is very proud to
assist the Sheriff’s TRIAD Division with this unique
program,” said John T. Walsh, Residential Project
Administrator in WMECO’s Conservation and Load
Management Department. “In addition to the light
bulbs, we will also be providing materials which will
help these customers take advantage of other programs
offered by WMECO, as well as the state and federal
government.
Initially, WMECO will make a
minimum of 10,000 bulbs available. Senior citizens
who are current WMECO customers and wish to have the new
bulbs installed should contact the TRIAD Office at (413)
774-4726.
Top Of Page
January 9, 2004
Sheriff Teams Up With Masons For Child Safety
On
Monday, January 12th, the 180 students of the
Colrain Central School will be the recipients of the
most high-tech child safety program in the northeast.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with
the Massachusetts Freemasons in sponsoring the C.H.I.P.
– Child Identification Program. The program
expands upon the Child ID Program already offered by the
Sheriff’s Office by incorporating additional
technologies aimed at locating and identifying children
who are lost or abducted.
In addition to the photo,
fingerprint and medical information provided by the
Sheriff’s Office, C.H.I.P. adds videotaped interviews of
each student, as well as an impression of the student’s
teeth taken by a health professional.
“Providing this service to
an entire school is a big undertaking,” Sheriff
Macdonald said. “By collaborating with the Masons,
the Sheriff’s Office is able to combine forces and make
a valuable service available to more Franklin County
families,” he added.
Top Of Page
October 14, 2003
Sheriff’s Office to Distribute Gunlocks
Sheriff Fred Macdonald
announced that the Sheriff’s Office is participating in
Project Childsafe, the nationwide program that will
distribute millions of gunlocks to all fifty states and
to the five U.S. territories.
“Childsafe is funded by a
grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to promote
responsible firearms ownership and storage,” the Sheriff
said.
Beginning on Monday, October
20th, the Sheriff’s Office will be
distributing over 1,000 gunlocks at the following three
locations:
- Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office - Visiting Center
160 Elm
Street, Greenfield
Monday & Friday: 8:00 AM -
4:00 PM
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:00
AM - 12:30 PM
-
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office - Civil Process
Division
466 Main Street, Greenfield
Monday - Friday:
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office - Community Corrections Center
The Armory, 8 Prospect Street, Greenfield
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Top
Of Page
October 6, 2003
Child ID Program Expanded
For each
of the past three years, the Sheriff’s Office has
offered complimentary child identification and
fingerprinting at the Franklin County Fair. This
year, the parents of over six hundred children attending
the Fair were given an ID packet, which includes photo,
fingerprints and vital information that could be used in
the event that a child is abducted, injured or lost.
Beginning this month, the Sheriff’s ID Program will be
expanded to include on-site visits to schools and
daycare centers. “By going directly to where the
children are, we are better able to ensure that parents
throughout the county have access to this program,”
Sheriff Fred Macdonald said.
The
program will be at the Buckland-Shelburne Elementary
School on October 28th, and at a daycare in
Montague Center on October 7th. School
officials or daycare providers interested in scheduling
to have the ID Program provide an on-site visit should
contact the Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach Officer
Deputy Susan Corey at (413) 774-4014 ext. 141 or
Administrative Assistant Doni Beauregard at (413)
774-4014 ext. 161.
Top
Of Page
September 10, 2003
Massachusetts Sheriffs Testify at Senate Oversight
Hearing
Advocate for Role in Homeland Security
Response
Massachusetts Sheriffs stand
ready to contribute to the fight against terrorism and
want a voice in the planning of the Commonwealth’s
response to Homeland Security episodes.
Massachusetts Sheriffs’
Association President and Dukes County Sheriff Michael
A. McCormack and three of his Sheriff colleagues
delivered this message earlier today (9/10/03) at a
Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee hearing at the
State House in Boston. McCormack and Sheriffs
Thomas M. Hodgson of Bristol County, Joseph F. McDonough
of Plymouth County and Andrea J. Cabral of Suffolk
County suggested sheriffs are uniquely positioned among
local law enforcement agencies to contribute equipment,
staff and communications technology that would extend
the first response effectiveness and impact of local and
state police and increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of an overall State terror response plan.
“People think of us as local
jailers and don’t stop to think of the resources we have
to offer,” says McCormack. “But our deputies and
staffs have the same scope of training and skill in
dealing with large-scale riots and disturbances as
police officers. We have command structures and
equipment to react immediately and expertly to any
emergency or danger inside our facilities. This
skill, training and experience is transferable to terror
episodes occurring outside our facilities and gives us
the qualifications and standing to be part of the
Commonwealth’s effort to develop a sound, effective and
safety-driven plan to respond to Homeland Security
issues.”
Hodgson, McDonough and
Cabral testified how they see their individual
departments contributing to the development and
execution of a state lead terror response plan in their
respective counties. They referenced the
suggestions of their colleagues from across the state
and spoke after Middlesex Sheriff James V. DiPaola
opened the Wednesday hearing as the first panelist.
The Wednesday hearing, held
in the State House Gardiner Auditorium, brought together
the Senate’s Post Audit and Oversight Committee chaired
by Senator Marc R. Pacheco of Taunton with the Senate
Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Public Health,
Senator Richard Moore of Uxbridge and the Senate
Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Public Safety,
Senator Jarrett Barrios of Cambridge. The three
committees are conducting a first of its kind assessment
of readiness, coordination and capability among the
state’s public health institutions, transportation
agencies and local and state law enforcement
organizations to deal with sudden terror episodes or
threats.
Sheriff’s resources vary by
county, but include operating partnerships, such as the
Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council in Greater Boston
that has staff of Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department
working in tandem with 33 area police departments in
providing mutual aid response to large-scale
disturbances or crimes requiring special weapons or
regional response teams. Sheriffs also offer,
according to McCormack, intelligence sharing, deployment
of tactical response teams, training of security
detention personnel, administration of first-aid and CPR
as roles and functions they could execute in a
coordinated response plan. He also noted portable
food preparation, communications coordination, use of
command vehicles and transportation equipment as
resources they could deploy to an external terror
response command site.
Franklin County Sheriff Fred
Macdonald echoed the remarks of his fellow Sheriffs.
“As public safety officials, we have an obligation to
provide for any and all contingencies. When it
comes to Homeland Security, collaboration among law
enforcement agencies is of the utmost importance.”
The resources that the Franklin Sheriff’s Office
could provide in the event of a terrorist threat
include: a seven-member Tactical Response Team trained
in disturbance control; night vision surveillance;
portable radio communications; transportation vehicles,
and; portable food services. In addition, the
Sheriff’s Office has ninety staff members certified in
CPR/first aid and twenty staff members who are certified
First Responders. The Sheriff’s Office also maintains
training and reaction plans for dealing with
insurrections, bomb threats, external demonstrations,
escapes, loss of utilities, staff job actions;
chemical/biological contamination, severe weather,
prison overcrowding and large-scale prisoner transfers.
Top Of
Page
September
10, 2003
Sheriff Offers Self-Defense
Training for Women
The Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office is offering a 15-hour course teaching
no-nonsense, practical techniques of defense through its
R.A.D. Program (Rape Aggression Defense), the largest
women’s self-defense system in the country.
All students receive a lifetime return and
practice policy.
This course is offered free of charge.
According to Sheriff Fred Macdonald, R.A.D. is one of
many Community Outreach Programs administered by the
Sheriff’s Office.
“This program recognizes the safety risks women
face and gives them the ability to defend themselves if
attacked,” the Sheriff said.
Under the direction of
Community Outreach Deputy Sue Corey, two officers who
are certified R.A.D. instructors conduct the training
session.
The course covers five
nights:
September 18, 24 and 25
October 1 and 2
5:00 – 8:00
PM each night
Congregational Church, Turners Falls,
MA
For further information or
to register, contact Lt. Susan Corey or Doni Beauregard
at the Sheriff’s Office:
(413) 774-4014.
Top Of
Page
September
1, 2003
Sheriff's Office to Offer Free Fingerprint Kits
Sheriff Fred Macdonald has
announced that the Sheriff's Office will again offer
free picture and fingerprinting for children at the
Franklin County Fair.
"Last year we provided
identification packets to over 600 children," the
Sheriff said.
The ID packets include a
current photo, fingerprints and important information
that would help authorities to recover a child who has
been lost or abducted.
"We don't like to think
about our children being lost or hurt. But the
reality is that the potential is there. As
Sheriff, I want to give parents the tools to assist law
enforcement in the event that a child is in harm's way,"
the Sheriff said.
The Sheriff's Office will be
staffing a booth at the fairgrounds beginning Thursday
from 4 to 10 PM, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10
AM to 10 PM.
"I strongly urge all parents
to stop by and take advantage of this opportunity,"
Macdonald said.
Top Of
Page
July
17, 2003
Sheriff Releases Statistics on Community Corrections
Sheriff Fred Macdonald
released the Community Corrections Center statistics for
the fiscal year July 1, 2002 through May 31, 2003.
Community Corrections Centers were established in
thirteen counties under the jurisdiction of the
Sheriffs’ Offices in 1998.
The objective of the centers is to provide a
treatment-based alternative sanction for offenders who
could otherwise face incarceration.
“The offenders referred to our Center receive
intensive treatment and strict supervision,” the Sheriff
said.
Last year, the Center
in Franklin County had an average monthly census of 150
clients.
During its three years of operation, total monthly
referrals receiving drug screening, treatment, or
electronic monitoring exceeded 338 clients. “When
compared to the Jail population, which averages 170
prisoners, 338 community-based offenders is significant.
At one point last year, our Jail census peaked at
185.
Between the Jail, House of Correction and Community
Corrections Center, there were 523 offenders under some
form of Sheriff’s Office supervision,” the Sheriff said.
Offenders are sentenced or
“assigned” to the Center directly from the court.
“Level II” offenders receive drug screening only.
“Level III” offenders receive drug screening and
are required to participate in mandatory treatment and
community service programs.
“Level IV”, the strictest level, requires drug
screening, program participation and electronic
monitoring.
“Level IV participants wear an ankle bracelet which
transmits a signal to a main computer.
Deputies assigned to the Center are notified by
pager if the offender deviates from his or her approved
itinerary,” the Sheriff said.
“When an offender
violates, it is the teamwork between the Sheriff’s
Office and the Probation Department that ensures prompt
action to bring clients back into compliance,” said
Laura Waskiewicz, Director of the Center.
As soon as an offender violates, a Sheriff’s
deputy notifies the probation officer responsible for
that offender.
Depending upon the severity of the violation, the
chief probation officer may issue a warrant and, with
the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office or local police,
the offender is arrested.
“This supervision is provided 24 hours, seven
days per week.
Our response to any violation of the rules is
swift and certain,” said Ms. Waskiewicz.
“The combination of a strong treatment
component with a firm response to rules violation has
made the Center successful.
Our primary goal, as always, is public safety,”
Macdonald said.
Toward that end, the mandatory drug and alcohol
screening is the most important aspect of supervising
offenders in the community.
During the last fiscal year, the Center
performed a grand total of 3,925 drug screens from urine
samples and a total of 638 alcohol screens. Of the drug tests performed, 420 were positive.
“When they test positive, we
notify their probation officer, so that corrective
action may be taken,” the Sheriff said.
Corrective action may include moving the offender
to a higher security level, termination from the program
and incarceration for violation of the terms of
probation.
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July
11, 2003
One Step Closer to New County Jail
Sheriff Fred Macdonald
announced today that the Sheriff’s Office and the state
Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) have
selected Springfield-based Fontaine Brothers as the
general contractor for the Franklin County Jail
Replacement Project.
Fontaine’s proposal met all the essential
elements of the bid and came in 2.7 million dollars
under DCAM’s earlier construction cost estimate.
“Initiating capital construction is a slow and
frustrating process, but this is the kind of good news
worth waiting for,” Sheriff Macdonald said.
Now that the contractor has
been selected, the next step in the process is for DCAM
to formally award the contract and establish a
construction start date. Earlier this year, an announcement by DCAM that the project
would be delayed for a second time in one year prompted
a forceful protest by Franklin County legislators led by
Senate President pro tem Stan Rosenberg. Senator
Rosenberg organized a meeting between all the
legislators who represent Franklin County and members of
Governor Romney’s staff.
“I believe that the meeting was successful and I
thank both the legislators and the Governor for sitting
down and discussing how to get this project underway,”
the Sheriff said.
Initial funding for the
antiquated 19th century facility was part of
a prison bond bill signed by Governor Weld in 1996.
There is currently 32 million dollars allocated
for the project.
The replacement facility was put out to bid in
June 2002, but was delayed for a year due to the state
bond cap (the amount of money that can be spent annually
on capital projects).
The project was put back out to bid in March of
this year.
The Sheriff says that the need for a new facility in
Franklin County cannot be overestimated:
“The size of the cells in the current facility
fail to meet constitutional standards; the electrical
and plumbing systems do not meet code; there is no
secondary egress in the event of fire; prisoners cannot
be classified properly due to lack of appropriate inmate
housing; and the lack of automated locking systems make
the facility expensive to staff due to the number of
posts required for each shift.”
According to the Macdonald,
a new facility will enhance the ability of the Sheriff’s
Office to assist local and state police.
“Currently we provide lock-up services to the
state police and to Franklin County towns,” the Sheriff
said. Under
state law, the county jail may be used as a lock-up for
police departments who do not have lock-ups in their
stations.
Recently, Sheriff Macdonald filed legislation that would
expand the use of the jail by allowing police officers
to detain persons placed into protective custody.
“Franklin County is unique,” the Sheriff said.
“We have to work together to deliver the best
possible services to the citizens. I am thankful to the legislators and to the Franklin County
Chiefs of Police and Selectmen’s Associations for their
letters of support in getting this project back on
track.”
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June
1, 2003
New Jail Officially
Out to Bid
Sheriff Fred Macdonald
announced today that the state has officially opened the
bid process for the replacement of the Franklin County
Jail and House of Correction. The official bidding
process began on March 12th. A "pre-bid conference" was
held by DCAM at the jail on March 28th. The purpose of
the conference was to provide contractors with an
opportunity to do a site examination prior to submitting
their bid. The closing date for bids was April 24th.
"We've waited an awfully
long time," the Sheriff said. When first running for
office in 1992, Macdonald made replacement of the
outdated Elm Street facility a top priority of his
administration. " A new facility will not only bring
work opportunities to the construction trades during a
tough economic period, but it will also provide a model
facility that will serve the public safety needs of
Franklin County for decades," the Sheriff said.
The new facility will be
located adjacent to the existing jail at 160 Elm Street.
It will be comprised of four inmate "pods" with a total
of 144 cells, as well as administrative and support
space. Based on the "design-build" construction method,
the facility should be ready for occupancy within 18 to
24 months of groundbreaking. Although the bid is
official, the Sheriff said he will rest easier when the
first shovel goes into the ground. "We've been through
studies, tough budget years, bond cap limitations,
reviews and delays. Getting this project underway is a
victory for the citizens of our region," the Sheriff
said. " I can only say that this was a team effort.
Without the unwavering support of our legislators,
Senator Stan Rosenberg, former Representative John
Merrigan, and Representatives Steve Kulik and Shawn
Kelly, we probably would not be celebrating this
achievement. I am sincerely grateful to them for keeping
their eyes on this project and I know that our new
Representative Chris Donelan will be there to see this
project to completion," said Macdonald.
The Sheriff's Office will
host a forum for members of the press to view the
blueprints of the new facility to receive more in-depth
information about the project.
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