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Date: 4/4/2023
LUDLOW — Seventy-five sheriffs and jail administrators met at the Hampden County Correctional Center, also known as the Main Institution, in Ludlow on March 29 to kick off the Large Jail Network conference.
The National Institute of Corrections brought the conference to the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, as the facilities are considered model correctional institutions.
The Main Institution opened in 1992 and has an average daily count of 900 male inmates.
It is made up of seven buildings including three housing towers.
The Large Jail Network is one of the National Institute of Corrections’ largest and most active networks, designed for the administrators of jails with 1,000 or more beds.
“We are extremely proud to be hosting 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 Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi.
Hampden County has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country due to the programs they set up for the inmates who are assigned there.
Cocchi added, “We have one of the lowest recidivism rates in the nation and when you tour our facilities and talk to our team, you will learn 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.”
Sentenced inmates are expected to maintain a 40-hour work week participating in productive activities within the job assignments and programs.
The visit consisted of sheriffs being divided into groups and touring and learning about the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center in Springfield, All-Inclusive Support Services in Springfield, as well as the Sheriff’s Office’s health care program, mental health services, and Medication Assisted Treatment program to help those in custody who are battling an addiction.
The first part of the tour passed through the education, programming and vocational programs highlighting opportunities like woodworking, welding, embroidery, commercial printing and a meditation room to focus on feelings.
Each vocational program has an instructor who mentioned how important each program is not only for the facility but also for the inmates.
The instructors highlighted that each program teaches inmates organizational skills and working with deadlines, helps them earn appropriate certification and create a resume of projects so they can begin earning more money when they are released.
Each room included new state-of-the-art equipment that helps the inmates sew prison uniforms and police shirts, make decals for the police vehicles, make Adirondack chairs and sheds, design printed shirts, or make business cards, pamphlets, and more.
Cocchi mentioned the facility would not be where it is without his staff.
Cocchi said, “The correctional and human service staff work closely together to create and implement programs that are proven to be effective in reducing recidivism rates and helping people. These programs include behavioral therapy, education and vocational training, and substance use disorder treatment.”
Cocchi also mentioned that former Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe was a mentor to him and the facility is the way it is because of him.
Ashe was elected sheriff of Hampden County in 1974, retiring in 2016.
Ashe adopted the “40-hour work week” policy for sentenced inmates and may also be famously known for commandeering a National Guard armory as a temporary correctional facility because of the lack of space for those remanded to his custody.
Cocchi worked with Ashe for 24 years before he retired and said he learned a lot from him.
Cocchi said, “I hire every single person. I tell them I am bringing with you a family. Families can be dysfunctional. You may agree with me, disagree with some of my decisions but at the end of the day we are family. That is the philosophy of Sheriff Ashe. He was a second father for 1,250 employees.”
Ashe was at the program in the morning and said he was excited and honored that the National Institute of Corrections chose Hampden County as the host of the Large Jail Network.
Ashe added, “This place has come a long way and is always growing. We all know that the day you become a genius is the day we are in trouble. We can always learn in terms of what is going on out there.”
There were three other buildings toured at the correctional institution.
The Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center is a regional facility that serves women from across the state and utilizes the best practices and a gender-specific program focused on rehabilitation and re-entry, according to the department.
The Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center is a community-based residential treatment facility that is designed to provide custody, care and treatment for people with addiction from the five western counties.
The group also toured Incarceration Support Services, the first after-care center in the nation to help formerly incarcerated people as they transitioned back into the community.
The center’s name was changed to All Inclusive Support Services because it now assists any community member in need.
The correctional institution also includes StonyBrook Commitment Center to help people battling with severe addictions.
Cocchi said, “We are always striving to improve but we are successful at what we do because the staff buys in. We strive to serve as a model for other institutions across the country. We believe in a compassionate, evidence-based approach to rehabilitation, based on the principles of dignity, respect and fairness.”