- Massachusetts Department of Correction
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Massachusetts Department of Correction Abbreviation MDOC 
Patch of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Agency overview Employees 5,000 Annual budget $500 Million Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Jurisdictional structure Operations jurisdiction* State of Massachusetts, US 
Map of Massachusetts Department of Correction's jurisdiction. Size 7,840 square miles (20,300 km2) Population 6,497,967 (2008 est.)[1] Legal jurisdiction Commonwealth of Massachusetts General nature Operational structure Headquarters Milford, Massachusetts Correction Officers 4,000 Civilians 1,000 Agency executive Luis S. Spencer, Commissioner Parent agency Executive Office of Public Safety Specialized Teams Tactical Response Team (TRT) Special Response Team (SRT)
Tactical Response Team (TRT)
Hostage Negotiation Team (HRT)
Central Transportation Unit (CTU)
K9 Team
Inner Perimeter Security (IPS)
Gang Intelligence Unit
Fugitive Apprehension Unit
Office of Investigative Services (OIS)
Communications Division
Facilities State Prisons 18 Vehicles Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Ford E-Series Van
K9 Teams Golden Retriever German Shepherd
Website http://www.mass.gov/doc Footnotes * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. The Massachusetts Department of Correction is responsible for operating the prison system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, US Massachusetts houses over 11,500 inmates (about 1,820 are serving life sentences) throughout 18 correctional facilities [2] and employs over 5,000 employees (about 4,000 of whom are correctional officers). The MA DOC also has a tactical unit, a fugitive apprehension unit, a gang intelligence unit, a K-9 team, a Special Reaction Team (SRT), and a Tactical Response Team (TRT). Both of these tactical units are highly trained and are paramilitary teams. The Massachusetts DOC is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Massachusetts with a staff of 5,000, 4,000 of which are sworn officers. The agency is headquartered in Milford.[3]
Contents
Mission Statement
The Massachusetts Department of Correction's mission is to promote public safety by incarcerating offenders while providing opportunities for participation in effective programming designed to reduce recidivism.[4]
Officer Rank Structure
Only the ranks of Captain and below wear uniforms, the ranks and insignia are as shown below.[5]
Title Insignia Commissoner 
Deputy Commissioner Assistant Deputy Commissioner Associate Commissioner Superintendent Deputy Superintendent Director Deputy Director Captain[5] 
Lieutenant[5] 
Sergeant[5] 
Officer Correctional Facilities
List of Massachusetts state correctional facilities
Security Levels
The following security levels are utilized by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.[6]
MAXIMUM SECURITY: A custody level in which both design/construction as well as inmate classification reflect the need to provide maximum external and internal control and supervision of inmates primarily through the use of high security parameters and extensive use of internal physical barriers and check points. Inmates accorded this status present serious escape risks or pose serious threats to themselves, to other inmates, to staff, or the orderly running of the institution. Supervision of inmates is direct and constant.
- Maximum Facility: Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Cedar Junction.
MEDIUM SECURITY: A custody level in which design/construction as well as inmate classification reflect the need to provide maximum external and internal control and supervision of inmates. Inmates accorded to this status may present an escape risk or pose a threat to other inmates, staff, or the orderly running of the institution. Supervision remains constant and direct. Through an inmates willingness to comply with institutional rules and regulations, increased job and program opportunities exist.
- Medium Facilities: Old Colony Correctional Center, Bay State Correctional Center, Bridgewater State Hospital, Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Concord, Massachusetts Treatment Center, Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Norfolk, North Central Correctional Institution, Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Correctional Unit, Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Framingham, Massachusetts Alcohol, Substance Abuse Center and Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Shirley.
MINIMUM SECURITY: A custody level in which both the design/construction as well as inmate classification reflect the goal of returning to the inmate a greater sense of personal responsibility and autonomy while still providing for supervision and monitoring of behavior and activity. Inmates within this security level are not considered a serious risk to the safety of staff, inmates or to the public. Program participation is mandated and geared toward their potential reintegration into the community. Access to the community is limited and under constant direct staff supervision.
- Minimum Facilities: Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Plymouth, Boston Pre-Release Center, Northeastern Correctional Center, Pondville Correctional Center, South Middlesex Correctional Center.
PRE-RELEASE: A custody level in which both design/construction as well as inmate classification reflect the goal of restoring to the inmate maximum responsibility and control of their own behavior and actions prior to their release. Direct supervision of these inmates is not required, but intermittent observation may be appropriate under certain conditions. Inmates within this level may be permitted to access the community unescorted to participate in programming to include, but not limited to, work release, educational release, etc.
- Pre-Release Facilities: Boston Pre-Release Center, Northeastern Correctional Center, Pondville Correctional Center, South Middlesex Correctional Center.
Prison overcrowding rates
The overcrowding rate is determined based on the average daily population of the facility divided by the number of beds (design capacity). The total custody overcrowding rate for DOC facilities as of July 1st, 2010 was 140 %. The highest overcrowding rate at any facility was 344 %.
South Bay in Dorchester and MCI Concord in Concord are the most over crowded jails/prisons in Massachusetts.
Correction Officer Training Academy
The DOC's training is conducted at the Shirley Correctional Complex-Training Academy in Shirley, MA. The academy consists of twelve weeks of paramilitary type training for new correction officer recruits. (The academy also trains Correctional Program Officers (CPO). Recruits are taught the policies and procedures of the department, self-defense, firearms use, proper handcuffing and restraint techniques, proper emergency vehicle operations, and many other topics. Once a recruit completes the academy he or she is sworn in as a Massachusetts State Correction Officer and is assigned to one of the state's eighteen correctional facilities to be further trained by a sergeant. This program is called On-The-Job Training (OJT) and is similar to the type of training police departments' use to train new police officers.
Fallen Officers
Since the establishment of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, 14 officers have died in the line of duty. The most recent line of duty death was in 1998 at MCI-Shirley.[7]
Headquarters
The Massachusetts Department of Correction's headquarters is located at:
50 Maple Street, Suite 3
Milford, MA 01757
Phone: (508) 422-3300See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts
- List of United States state correction agencies
- Massachusetts Department of Youth Services
References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the U.S., Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008". United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2008-01.csv. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
- ^ Massachusetts Department of Correction facilities list
- ^ "Massachusetts Department of Correction." Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Retrieved on December 7, 2009.
- ^ Massachusetts Department of Correction policies - DOC 100
- ^ a b c d Massachusetts Department of Correction policies - DOC 224 Uniforms
- ^ Massachusetts Department of Correction Security Level page
- ^ The Officer Down Memorial Page
External links
Incarceration of adults in the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons List of U.S. federal prisons · Federal Prison IndustriesCorrections by U.S. state Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · WyomingFederal District Felons: Federal Bureau of Prisons, Misdemeanants: District of Columbia DOCInsular Areas US state prisons List of U.S. state prisons
Category · 
Commons · 
Criminal justice portalCategories:- Law enforcement agencies of Massachusetts
- State corrections departments of the United States
- State law enforcement agencies of Massachusetts
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