Hampden and Middlesex Sheriff's Offices Host Large Jail Network Conference

Hampden and Middlesex Sheriff's Offices had the privilege of co-hosting the National Institute of Corrections annual Large Jail Network Conference at the end of March.

Participants took a tour of the Hampden County Sheriff's Office.

For three days, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian welcomed more than 75 sheriffs, jail administrators, and leaders across the country to Massachusetts.

Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian spoke to conference attendees.

The conference started at the Middlesex Sheriff's Office. Participants met with Sheriff Koutoujian, his staff, and incarcerated individuals to learn more about some their nationally-recognized programs.

“The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office was honored to host the opening session for NIC’s visit to Massachusetts,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Bringing leaders from across the nation together to identify and spread best practices is NIC’s central mission. This is the second NIC-sponsored program that the MSO has hosted, along with the National Sheriff’s Institute last year. These exchanges allow our office to share the innovative programs that we employ and learn from other leading law enforcement agencies at the same time. That NIC chose the Middlesex and Hampden Sheriff’s Offices to host the Large Jail Network is a credit to our staffs who work hard every day to support individuals, families and the public.”

Conference attendees checked out one of several inmate programs offered at the Hampden County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Cocchi was also thrilled to welcome conference attendees to his facility in Hampden County. The participants took a tour of several facilities and programs to get an overview of the work done that leads to Hampden County having one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi gave remarks during the conference.

“We were extremely proud to host correctional professionals from across the country and share some of our best practices that help the justice-involved people we encounter go back to the community better equipped for success and less likely to return as an inmate,” said Sheriff Nick Cocchi. “We have one of the lowest recidivism rates in the nation and when they toured our facilities and talked to our team, they learned about how our firm but fair approach to corrections makes a difference in the outcomes for the individuals, their families, and the community as a whole.”