Berkshire County Released Inmate Lookup
Berkshire County released inmate records are kept by the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office in Pittsfield. The jail and house of correction on Cheshire Road processes all bookings and releases for the county. If you want to find out when someone got out of the Berkshire County jail, you can call the facility or send a written request. Released inmate data from Berkshire County includes booking dates, charges, and the date each person was let go. The sheriff's office also runs a civil process division and several law enforcement units that work with state and federal agencies. This page walks through how to search for released inmates in Berkshire County and what records you can get.
Berkshire County Overview
Berkshire County Sheriff's Office
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office handles all jail operations in the county. Sheriff Thomas N. Bowler serves as the 21st Sheriff of Berkshire County. He was elected in 2010 after spending 24 years with the Pittsfield Police Department. The office runs the jail and house of correction, a civil process division, and several specialized law enforcement teams. Over 200 staff members work for the sheriff's office, and the annual budget sits at about $21.5 million. When someone gets released from the Berkshire County jail, that release is logged in the department's records system along with booking data and charges.
You can learn more about the sheriff and his background on the Sheriff Bowler biography page. His office has put a focus on re-entry programs and inmate rehabilitation since he took over. The 2nd Street Second Chances program is one example. It helps released inmates transition back into the community with job training and support services. The jail also runs an aquaponics lab where inmates grow organic lettuce as part of a vocational skills program.
To check on a released inmate from Berkshire County, call the jail at (413) 443-7220. Staff can tell you if someone is still in custody or has been released. You can also email info@sdb.state.ma.us with the person's full name and date of birth. For written requests, send mail to the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction at 467 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. The records unit handles these requests and responds with what they can share under Massachusetts public records law.
| Agency | Berkshire County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | Thomas N. Bowler (21st Sheriff) |
| Main Phone | (413) 443-7220 |
| Address | 467 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
| info@sdb.state.ma.us |
Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction
The Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction opened on February 12, 2001. The facility cost $39.1 million to build and covers 160,000 square feet. It sits on Cheshire Road in Pittsfield and replaced the old Second Street Jail that had been in use since 1871. The current building is a state-of-the-art facility that holds both pre-trial and sentenced inmates. Average daily population runs between 155 and 166 inmates. The jail holds dual accreditation from the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, which is not common for a facility this size.
Released inmate records from the Berkshire County jail go back to the facility's opening in 2001. Older records from the Second Street Jail may also be available through the sheriff's office, though those could take longer to locate. The county has a long correctional history. The first jail in Berkshire County was built in Sheffield back in 1733. The Second Street Jail served the county from 1871 until the new facility took over in 2001. Two executions took place at the old jail, one in 1878 and another in 1893.
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office website provides information about the jail facility, programs, and how to contact staff about inmate records.
Women arrested in Berkshire County are not housed at the Cheshire Road facility. They get transferred to the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee. If you are looking for a released female inmate from Berkshire County, you may need to contact that facility separately. The sheriff's office in Pittsfield can point you in the right direction if you call and ask about a specific person.
Berkshire County Released Inmate Records
Massachusetts public records law under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10 gives you the right to request records from government agencies, including the sheriff's office. Released inmate records from Berkshire County fall under this law. You can ask for booking records, release dates, charges, and other basic information about someone who was held at the jail. The sheriff's office charges between $0.05 and $0.10 per page for copies of records.
Some records may be restricted. Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10A, agencies can hold back records that could harm an ongoing investigation or violate someone's privacy. Juvenile records and sealed cases are off limits. But most basic released inmate information is available if you file a proper request. Include the person's full name, date of birth, and the approximate time frame you are asking about.
Records you can request from the Berkshire County jail include:
- Booking records with charges and intake dates
- Release dates and type of release
- Daily population logs
- Incident reports from the facility
- Visiting logs tied to the inmate
The sheriff's biography page shares details about the leadership and priorities of the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, including its approach to inmate records and community programs.
Note: Copies of released inmate records from Berkshire County cost $0.05 to $0.10 per page depending on the format.
Berkshire County Civil Process Division
The Berkshire County Civil Process Division operates out of 264 Second Street in Pittsfield. This unit handles about 12,000 documents each year. They serve court papers, restraining orders, and other legal documents across the county's 30 towns and 2 cities. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. You can reach them at (413) 443-6841 or by email at civilprocess@berkshirecivil.com.
While the civil process division does not handle released inmate records directly, their work often intersects with the jail. Restraining orders, for example, get served on inmates before they are released. Court orders tied to someone's release conditions may also pass through the civil process team. If you are trying to track down legal documents connected to a released inmate in Berkshire County, the civil process office can help you figure out which records exist and where to find them.
The civil process page on the sheriff's office website explains what services the division provides and how to reach them for document-related questions.
Berkshire County Law Enforcement Units
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office runs several specialized units beyond the jail. These teams work across the county and sometimes partner with federal agencies. The office has a K-9 unit, a mounted unit, a dive team, a mobile command center, and a Special Response Team. They also participate in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, work with the US Marshals Service, and contribute to the FBI Gang Task Force. These partnerships can affect released inmate records because federal holds or task force arrests may involve Berkshire County inmates.
The sheriff's office also runs a communications center that provides 911 dispatch services for 26 communities in Berkshire County. This is a big deal in a rural county that covers 946 square miles. The dispatch center logs calls and incidents that can sometimes connect to jail bookings and releases. If an arrest leads to a booking at the Berkshire County jail, the chain of records starts with the dispatch call and ends with the release documentation.
The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association page for Berkshire County provides additional background on the office and its history. This resource covers how the sheriff's office has evolved over the years and the scope of services it provides today.
The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association lists details about each county sheriff's office in the state, including Berkshire County's operations and contact information.
Visiting and Contacting Berkshire County Inmates
Berkshire County uses the Securus system for video visitation at the jail. Family members and friends can schedule video visits with inmates through the Securus platform. This system also lets you track whether someone is still in custody. If you try to schedule a visit and the person is no longer listed, that usually means they have been released. It is not a formal way to check on released inmates, but it can give you a quick answer.
For families trying to stay in touch with someone before their release date, the jail allows mail and phone calls through approved channels. Once a person is released from the Berkshire County jail, these services stop working for that individual. Knowing the expected release date can help you plan ahead. Call the jail at (413) 443-7220 to ask about projected release dates for sentenced inmates. Pre-trial inmates can be released at any time if bail gets posted or charges are dropped, so those timelines are harder to predict.
Note: Video visitation through Securus is the primary way to visit inmates at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.
Cities in Berkshire County
Berkshire County covers 30 towns and 2 cities across western Massachusetts. Released inmates from any of these communities pass through the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction in Pittsfield. The county's two cities are Pittsfield and North Adams. Neither has a population large enough to have its own page on this site, but both are served by the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office for all jail and released inmate matters.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Berkshire County. If you are searching for a released inmate and are not sure which county handled the case, check where the arrest took place. Each county runs its own jail system with separate records.