Did Justice Prevail? Questions Surrounding Correctional Officers and Budgetary Allocation within the Suffolk County Sheriff Department and Others

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

According to MassOpenBooks 2018 statistics, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department is the 18th highest department by average pay of all employees from 126 departments listed (excluding authorities) in the state. It has 1,135 employees who earn a total of $85,059,220. 

While the total number of employees decreased from 1,138 in 2012 to 1,135 in 2018, the number of “correctional officers” from South Bay House of Correction increased from 391 in 2012 to 441 in 2018. In six years, the average pay of correctional officers increased 76 percent, from $18,084 in 2012 to $75,296 in 2018, while total pay in the entire department increased 15 percent over the same period, from $71,939,046 to $85,059,220.  

Similarly, the number of “jail officers” from Nashua Street Jail increased from 195 in 2012 to 243 in 2018. In those six years, the average pay of jail officers increased 74 percent, from $17,036 to $65,455, while, as previously mentioned, total departmental pay increased 15 percent.

According to an article from WBUR, “Massachusetts … had the fifth-largest decline in prison populations between 2017 and 2018…” Specifically, according to the most recent statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Suffolk County experienced a drop in the prison population from 1,536 to 1,357 between January 29, 2018 and December 31, 2018. It also experienced a similar drop in the prison population the previous year, from 1,631 to 1,598 from January 30th to December 25th. So why would the number of jail officers and corrections officers rise?

The chart below shows that sheriffs make more than just their base pay.

SHERIFF DEPARTMENT NAME OF SHERIFF SHERIFF’S BASE PAY IN 2018 SHERIFF’S OTHER PAY IN 2018
Barnstable James Cummings $151,709 $10,465 
Berkshire  Thomas Bowler $151,709 $0
Bristol Thomas Hodgson $151,709  $0
Dukes Robert Ogden $119,771 $0
Essex Kevin Coppinger  $151,709  $0
Franklin  Christopher Donelan $151,709  $6,950
Hampden Nicholas Cocchi  $151,709  $3,800
Hampshire  Patrick Cahillane  $151,709  $0
Middlesex Peter Koutoujian  $151,709  $0
Nantucket James Perelman  $95,816  $3,465
Norfolk  Michael Bellotti $128,369  $0
Plymouth  Joseph Mcdonald $152,876  $0
Suffolk  Steven Tompkins  $151,709  $728
Worcester  Lewis Evangelidis  $151,709  $0

SOURCE: MassOpenBooks 

The only information received regarding “other pay” from sheriffs is from Sheriff Cummings, Sheriff Donelan, and Sheriff Perelman. On a telephone call, Sheriff Cummings explained that the other pay was carried over from pay that was approved by the county. In a public records request, it was revealed that Sheriff Donelan received a $2,500 education bonus, a $2,200 longevity bonus, a $750 bonus from 2017 Professional Development Incentive Year, and a $1,250 bonus from Professional Development Inc. On another telephone call, Sheriff Perelman’s office explained that his other pay came from detailed work on the 4th of July along with a 2% bonus from the base pay that is given every five years. 

According to a Boston Globe article, “the state’s politically powerful sheriffs could score major salary increases under a House-passed proposal that … would push the majority of the 14 sheriffs’ pay to nearly $170,000 a year in July 2019.” The article further mentions that Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian made the budget increase request to his successor as state representative. Koutoujian was quoted saying sheriffs had not gotten a raise in the last five years.  According to the author of the article, the conference committee is still negotiating the final version of the budget and it may not be known for a few weeks if the sheriff pay raise amendment will be included in the final version.

The lack of clarity regarding why the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department has hired more correctional and jail officers as the number of inmates has decreased is concerning, as is the lack of transparency regarding what “other pay” is for all sheriffs throughout the Commonwealth.  There is also the possibility that “other pay” could increase if the sheriffs get their raises. Hopefully, these problems can be addressed soon.

 

Paige Anderson is a Government Transparency Intern at The Pioneer Institute. She is a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics.

Get our MassWatch updates!

Read More of Pioneer’s Government Transparency Commentary:

A Decade of Culture and Recreation Spending on Cape Cod

/
Culture and Recreation are among the most important services…

A Decade of Police Spending on Cape Cod

/
Police spending is often the subject of debate in town halls…

Barnstable County: What Towns Tax the Most?

/
The housing market has been the center of American economic growth…

Property Crime Rates and Motor Vehicle Theft in Eastern Massachusetts Cities

/
An article published in May by WBUR shined a light on the recent…
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Healthcare Employs More on Cape Cod Than Any Other Sector

/
Despite being a major tourist destination, the largest employment sector on Cape Cod is not related to tourism: it is healthcare!

With Declining Enrollment, Public Colleges in Massachusetts Cut Back Adjunct Faculty Positions

/
The number of adjunct faculty positions is declining at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Tax Revenues Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels

/
Pandemic recovery and then some! Massachusetts revenues are higher than anyone was expecting, but where is all the money coming from? And what does this mean for the Massachusetts economy?

Sunshine Week 2022 – Government Transparency Has a Great New Ally

While government transparency is a year-round pursuit, Sunshine Week marks a unique opportunity to reflect on our past work and plan for our future work to weave this most necessary fabric of a free and healthy democracy.

How did COVID impact Massachusetts’ long-term care facilities?

Pioneer Institute has filed a Public Records Act request related to COVID's impact on Massachusetts’ long-term care facilities because the Institute believes this is a matter of obvious importance, both on principle (the public has a right to know the facts), and for purposes of evaluating – and where possible improving – public policy. 

Green energy job growth in Massachusetts following New Climate Change report published by the United Nations

/
On August 9, 2021, the United Nations Climate Change Panel published…

MBTA Ridership Trends Compared to Public Transportation Agencies Nationwide

/
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on our economy,…

NEW: MassWatch IRS Data Discovery Tool

/
If you want a window into taxation, to learn where Massachusetts residents move to and where new residents are coming from, Pioneer Institute has an innovative research tool for you. With Pioneer’s new Mass IRS Data Discovery Tool, you can now compare state-to-state or year-to-year tax data without downloading up to 2,000 IRS files in many different, cumbersome formats.

Where are Barnstable residents migrating to?

/
Using Pioneer Institute’s newest database, Massachusetts IRS…

Employment trends in the Greater Boston Area and Touristy Massachusetts Counties during the COVID-19 Pandemic

/
Using MassEconomix, Pioneer Institute’s database on employment…

The COVID-19 Impact on Massachusetts Community College Enrollment & Success Trends

Enrollment at Massachusetts community colleges has dropped 32.61…

Patterns Among Cape Cod Communities with a High Proportion of Private School Students

/
In Massachusetts, the association between education and demographic…