Community Corrections Center

The Hampshire County Community Corrections Center is located at 492 Pleasant Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Established in 1999, it is one of three centers in Massachusetts that is fully managed and staffed by Sheriff Cahillane’s employees. The Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays for random drug screenings. It currently provides over forty hours of weekly programming, with participants required to be on-site for three to five days depending on their sanction level. For those employed either full- or part-time, the staff will work to arrange their programming so it allows the participant to maintain their current work schedule. The Center also provides three opportunities per week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings for participants to fulfill mandated community service.

The staff is responsible for program intakes and transitions, supervision, security, treatment management, job readiness/placement, HiSET preparation, urinalysis functions, and for providing all substance abuse treatment services. The programming is provided in three general areas: substance abuse, life skills, and educational development. Substance abuse services an attempt to raise awareness of the concept of addiction being a disease, the nature of that disease, and the progression of it. Life skills services include anger and stress management, money management, job development, and interviewing skills. Educational services include Hi-Set preparation and pre-testing, with actual testing occurring at either Greenfield or Holyoke Community College, along with college prep curriculum for those interested in earning a degree.

Treatment groups are gender specific and are run using an evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) curriculum, which has proven to be effective with offenders, along with a system of sanctions and rewards that monitors progress in the treatment process. For each participant, the length of the program varies, and is ultimately determined by the “risk/need” assessment that is done at intake. The corresponding hours must be completed, and there needs to be a record of full program compliance before a participant can be successfully transitioned.

Random drug screens and breathalyzers are administered two to three times per week and at least one Saturday per month. Urinalysis is performed on-site by the Sheriff’s staff, with results available to the probation officers the next business day. The treatment team has long-term relationships with area providers and works closely with participants addressing ongoing issues that include substance abuse, childcare, relationships, and healthcare, as well as adverse daily living concerns that affect a good portion of the population we serve.