On June 1, the Massachusetts inspector general issued the “Final Report on Sheriffs’ Budgets and Expenditures.” The 190-page report characterizes sheriff’s departments as operating like the “wild west.” I characterize sheriffs as kings (sometimes queens) of their own castles. Sheriffs have been able to do this this because legislators, the governor and Administration and Finance have abdicated their responsibility by failing to demand a full accounting of where they get their money and how they spend it. This has meant sheriffs have created separate funds totaling tens of millions of dollars to use at their discretion.

Perhaps the worst perpetrator is Nick Cocchi, Sheriff of Hampden County. The IG states, “the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office has taken advantage of relaxed fiscal oversight to engage in egregious deficit spending.” Cocchi expanded his “law enforcement functions” to include patrols and community policing, even approaching municipalities to offer his deputies. In 2025 Hampden County operated a law enforcement division comprised of approximately 27 deputies who provided policing services to the city of Chicopee and town of West Springfield; police patrols in Springfield’s Forest Park and Union Station; marine patrols on the Connecticut River and even a mounted unit. No other sheriff has done this.

The Preliminary and Final Reports are crucial to uncovering the bloated budgets of sheriffs; however, I do have an unanswered question: are sheriffs underfunded? As they write, “… the OIG offers several recommendations in this report that will assist sheriffs, the Legislature, A&F, and other stakeholders to stop the cycle of underfunding and overspending.” What are we getting for our money? Sheriffs received (without slush funds), $888,821,873 in 2025. As of March 2026, in all jails and HOCs there were 7,128 people, the majority held pre-trial. In Hampden County for example, the cost of incarcerating one person for a year (pre-trial or sentenced) in jails was $132,432. The elephant in the room: are there too many jails costing way too much money?

While the jail populations decrease, budgets increase. One has to wonder, how many captains, lieutenants and sergeants are there compared to correction officers? What is the ratio of all correctional officers to the number of people incarcerated? What programs actually take place within each HOC rather than posting a long list of programs which once were offered? Are people being held pre-trial able to access programs other than AA or NA?

The IG calls on legislators, A&F and sheriffs to follow their recommendations. They also note that the Senate’s legislation included a Fiscal Oversight Council; however, the House leadership did not. Oversight is needed at least until the IG’s recommendations are fully implemented. Hopefully, the House and Senate will not let this opportunity pass and create the Oversight Council now.

Lois Ahrens is founder of The Real Cost of Prisons Project in Northampton.