Find Released Inmates in Nantucket County

Nantucket County released inmate records are not held on the island itself. This is the only county in Massachusetts where the sheriff's office does not run a jail or house of correction. All Nantucket County inmates serve their time at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility on Cape Cod. If you need to search for a released inmate from Nantucket, you will have to contact Barnstable County for custody and release data. The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office handles transport, court security, and civil process but does not keep its own jail population logs or release rosters.

Nantucket County Sheriff's Office

The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office is the smallest sheriff's office in Massachusetts. Sheriff James A. Perelman has led the office since he was first elected in November 2010. He won his third term in 2022 and took office again in January 2023. The office has just three full-time staff members. The sheriff's salary is $108,000 per year. Because there is no jail on Nantucket, the office focuses on prisoner transport, civil process, and court security. It does not maintain its own released inmate records the way other Massachusetts counties do.

What makes Nantucket County stand out from every other county in the state is simple. There is no jail here. No house of correction. No holding facility of any kind. This is the only sheriff's office in all of Massachusetts that does not operate a correctional facility. When someone is arrested on Nantucket and held for trial or sentenced to county time, they get transported off the island to Barnstable County. That means all released inmate records for Nantucket cases end up in the Barnstable system, not on Nantucket.

Sheriff Perelman has built a reputation for running a lean operation. Over his 12 years in office, he has returned roughly $1 million in unused budget funds back to the state. The office brings in about $10,000 to $12,000 per year in civil process fees. Rather than keeping that money, Perelman distributes it as community grants to local groups like A Safe Place and Fairwinds Counseling. The sheriff also runs a Meals on Wheels route that he has kept going for more than 8 years, and his office gives out free bike helmets and locks for child safety each summer.

Nantucket Inmate Transport Process

Getting an inmate off Nantucket is not as simple as loading someone into a van. The island sits 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. The only ways on or off are by ferry or by plane. The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office uses the Steamship Authority ferry for most prisoner transports. In some cases, especially when weather shuts down ferry service or timing is urgent, transport happens by small aircraft instead.

This transport process affects how released inmate records work for Nantucket cases. Once a person is moved to Barnstable County Correctional Facility, their custody records transfer to Barnstable County. The booking, housing, disciplinary records, and release data all live in the Barnstable system from that point forward. If you are looking for information about a released inmate who was arrested on Nantucket, you need to contact the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office at (508) 563-4300. They manage the facility where Nantucket inmates are held.

In May 2025, this transport system got public attention when Francisco Fernandez Sanchez was arrested in what local news called the largest cocaine bust in Nantucket history. He was transported from the island to Barnstable County for holding. Cases like this show how the system works in practice. The arrest happens on Nantucket. The court proceedings may start at Nantucket District Court. But the jail time and release happen through Barnstable County.

Note: All Nantucket County inmate transport is handled by the sheriff's office, not local police.

Nantucket County Released Inmate Lookup

Finding released inmate records for Nantucket County takes a few extra steps compared to other counties. You cannot just call one office and get everything you need. The records are split between two counties because of the no-jail arrangement. Here is where to look depending on what you need.

For jail and release records, contact Barnstable County. Call the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office at (508) 563-4300 and ask about the person by name. Give them a date of birth if you have it. They can tell you if someone is still in custody or has been released. They can also share the release date and type of release. Barnstable handles all of this because they are the ones who actually housed the person. Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10, you have the right to request public records from any Massachusetts government agency, and that includes jail release data.

For court records tied to a Nantucket case, check with Nantucket District Court, Superior Court, or Probate Court. The sheriff's office provides security for all three of these courts on the island. Court records show charges, case outcomes, and sentencing details. These records stay in the Nantucket court system even though the actual jail time is served elsewhere. You can search Massachusetts court records through the Trial Court website.

For civil process records, the Nantucket County Sheriff's Office does keep its own files. These cover evictions, court-ordered papers, collections, and sheriff sales. This is the one area where Nantucket maintains local records. Civil process is a core duty of the sheriff's office and generates the $10,000 to $12,000 in annual fees that get distributed to community groups.

Nantucket Released Inmate Public Records

Massachusetts public records law gives you the right to request released inmate data from government agencies. The key statute is M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10. This law applies to both Nantucket County and Barnstable County. When you file a public records request, the agency has 10 business days to respond. They can charge a fee for copies, but the first two hours of staff time are free for most requests.

Some released inmate records may be withheld. Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10A, agencies can hold back records that would compromise an active investigation or violate someone's privacy in certain ways. Juvenile records are almost always sealed. Cases that a judge has ordered sealed will not show up in a public records search either. But the basic facts of an adult release from county custody are usually available if you ask.

If your request gets denied, you can appeal to the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The appeals process is straightforward. Most denials happen because the request was too broad or hit one of the privacy exceptions. Narrowing your request to a specific person and date range usually helps get a faster and more complete response from Barnstable County.

Note: File public records requests in writing for the best results, whether by mail or email.

Nantucket Sheriff Community Role

Because the Nantucket County Sheriff's Office does not run a jail, the sheriff's role on the island looks different from what you see in other counties. Sheriff Perelman's office spends most of its time on court security and civil process rather than inmate management. The three-person staff covers Nantucket District Court, Superior Court, and Probate Court. They also handle all civil process service on the island, which includes delivering eviction notices, court orders, and other legal papers.

The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association profiled Perelman's approach to the job. He treats the position as a community service role. The Meals on Wheels work has been going on for more than eight years. The bike safety program gives free helmets and locks to kids each year. Civil process fees get turned into grants for local nonprofits rather than kept as office revenue. This is a different model from the large county sheriff's departments that spend most of their budget on jail operations.

The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association spotlighted how Sheriff Perelman runs the smallest sheriff's office in the state with a focus on community service over corrections.

For anyone searching for released inmate records tied to Nantucket, this community focus means the sheriff's office is approachable. You can call and ask questions. Staff are used to helping people navigate the split between Nantucket and Barnstable for jail records. They can point you in the right direction even though the actual release data sits with Barnstable County.

Nantucket County Sheriff Resources

The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office website has basic information about the office and its services. You can find contact details, a description of what the sheriff's office does, and links to community programs. The site does not have an inmate search tool because there is no jail to search.

The official Nantucket County Sheriff's Office website provides contact information and an overview of the office's duties including prisoner transport and civil process.

The about page on the sheriff's site goes into more detail about Sheriff Perelman's background and how the office runs day to day. It covers the office's three main duties and explains why Nantucket is different from other Massachusetts counties when it comes to corrections. If you want to understand why released inmate records for Nantucket cases are held elsewhere, this page spells it out clearly.

The about page on the sheriff's website explains the unique role of the Nantucket County Sheriff's Office and why inmate records are maintained by Barnstable County instead.

Local news coverage also sheds light on how the sheriff's office works. Nantucket Current reported on Perelman's third term win in 2022, which gives context about the office's direction and priorities going forward.

Nantucket Current covered the 2022 sheriff election results, where Perelman won a third term leading the county's three-person sheriff's office.

Cities in Nantucket County

Nantucket County consists of the Town of Nantucket, which covers the entire island. There are no other cities or towns in the county. The population stays around 14,000 year-round but can triple during the summer tourist season. All released inmates from Nantucket pass through the Barnstable County jail system because there is no local facility on the island.

Nearby Counties

These counties are closest to Nantucket County. Since all Nantucket inmates are housed in Barnstable County, that is the first place to check if you are looking for released inmate records. Dukes County, which covers Martha's Vineyard, is the other island county in Massachusetts.